#//since I'm not popular - I'll put on airs!
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"they don't love me like you do!"
anime: jujutsu kaisen
character: gojo satoru
summary: despite the countless valentines day offers he receives, satoru will only ever accept one confession. but you're confessing... to his best friend?
warnings: g/n! reader, they/them pronouns used, high school! au
"please accept these chocolates, gojo!" says the girl in front of him. satoru casually pulls down his glasses enough to see the red, heart-shaped cardboard box.
"oh, uh... thank you." he awkwardly says. this girl was two year below him, judging by the colours of her indoor shoes. he didn't even know her name. "this is... a surprise."
"i've liked you ever since orientation day. i hope you like these." she says with a nervous grin. she's stiff as he takes them out of her hands, standing up straight to stare at the tall man. "thank you for always being so funny and helping everyone you can."
"ah, you're welcome." he says, tucking the chocolates and the letter taped to it under his arm. luckily, the lunch bell had rung and everyone should've been off to enjoy their break. "well, i'll... see you around."
"b—bye, gojo!" she calls, waving at him as he walks the other way. he gives a kind smile before he turns the corner, dropping it immediately.
on the way to class, multiple other students watched him as he carelessly skimmed through the letter before stuffing it in his book bag, ready to throw it (and the others) away once home. valentines day was this week and it was two days before it today. yet satoru had received tons of confession letters and date proposals, none of which he had the intention of accepting.
plopping down in his chair, he groans, hanging his head, "ugh! i hate being so loveable..."
suguru rolls his eyes, outting his book down. "here we go again." he grunts, shaking his head.
"seriously! why can't i be left alone around valentines day?" he questions out lout, pulling his lunch box from his bag.
shoko bites into her sandwich as she listens to him. as she swallows, she retorts, "maybe it's because you flirt with every living being on earth." satoru sends him a pointed look. "so how many letters today?"
"seven." satoru responds, knocking his bag.
"and?"
"none of them were from y/n." he sighs out, picking up his chopsticks.
"wait, y/n?" suguru pipes up, putting his juicebox down, "as in y/n from class d?"
the blue-eyed boy raises a brow, halting his movements. "uh, yeah? l/n y/n." he recalls to his friend, tilting his head, "what? i've been talking about 'em for the past three months—suguru, have you been listening to me at all?"
"oh!" the dark-haired boy chuckles, nodding his head, "i know y/n. we're in the same literature class."
satoru stares at him in disbelief. the other students surrounding them are in their own little world, but the three of them didn't even mind them hearing if they tried. shoko continues to eat her food while suguru shrugs at his friend.
"are you kidding me?" satoru gasps out, waving a hand in the air, "i've been trying to get with them for three months and you tell me this just now?"
"you should've been more specific, man." suguru retorts, waving it off, "anyway, you gonna' ask them to be your valentine?"
satoru sighs loudly, hanging his head back, "i don't know... we only share bio together, i bet there's a lot of people who have asked them to be their valentine. they probably won't even accept mine."
shoko purses her lips and stretches her arms. "i don't know about that." she claims, "you're a pretty guy and everyone knows you. i doubt they'd pass up the chance to revel in that popularity."
"... thanks, shoko."
soon enough, the bell rings and the day goes on.
the next day, satoru notices something in your hand during biology class.
"whatchu' got there, y/n?" he asks, peaking over your shoulder. he sat behind you, enough room to see the handwritten letter you were writing.
"satoru!" you jump a little, covering the page. he furrows his brow. "it's, uh... i'm just writng something."
"is it... for valentines day tomorrow?" he inquires, curious to who was the lucky person. but you were still hiding it from him!
"no, of course not." you were lying, he could tell by the way you look to the left. a pout falls on his lips. "it's notes. for another class."
"oh... okay." he responds, a bit disappointed. why would you lie to him? he sits back in his chair, writing down some paragraphs from the textbook mindlessly. he saw the way your elbow quickly shifted, you were writing faster. your head was down too, never looking up. you were so concentrated.
he's known you for a couple of months now. you bumped into him on the way to school, and you admitted to him that you were a bit lost since you didn't live around here. satoru, being the gentleman he is, offered to escort you. you thought he was some creep (he tried reaching to hold your hand and when you jerked away on instinct, he played it off as it being the wind).
but once realising you two shared some classes together, you grew fond of him. you knew of the countless students throwing themselves at him. both older and younger. he was the school heartthrob. it's a shame though, only your smile could make his heart race like he makes others do.
when you gave him your lucky pen when he told you he didn't study and he was freaking out, you had this kind smile that made him think 'i don't want anyone else to see this but me'.
and he noticed that you awkwardly took it back from him, looking away as he clasped your hands tightly in the filled hallway and thanked you. your reactions were just the cutest...
when the bell rings, you perk up, putting your 'notes' in a suspicious looking envelope and signing it off with something. you stand up and satoru is quick to walk by your side when a classmates holds his arm to talk.
"huh?" satoru grunts, furrowed brows.
"gojo, i... i wanted to give you this." they say, holding out a teddy-bear saying 'be my valentine!'. satoru frowned when he took it. "you don't have to answer today... just let me know tomorrow, please."
as they continue to talk, he sees you exit the classroom. the letter sits comfortably in your palm, and you look left, right, before walking off. satoru is electrified.
"okay, thanks!" he says, running out of the classroom while he clutches the bear in his hands.
weaving through the crowd, he looks for the top of your head. after more and more people pass him, staring at the teddy and whispering 'who gave that to him this time?', he spots you turning the corner, a nervous look on your face. he mutters out apologies as he bumps into people heading to their next class.
the hallway you're in now is empty. you stand in front of a classroom door, waiting. notably, suguru's math class.
satoru stands at the end of the corridor, behind the corner, as the classroom door opens to reveal his best friend, geto suguru.
"suguru!" you call, smile. your shoulders are straightened, you hold the letter in front of you. not scared to show him...
"oh, y/n, hey." he responds, grinning as well. the comfortability around you two was so strange to see. "what's up?"
satoru feels like he's buzzing out. he can't hear everything you're saying, but you look a bit excited yet anxious. he hears your sweet voice speak to his best friend with such kindness that he's jealous. sure, suguru was attactive and nice and he definitely didn't feed into the popularity like satoru did, but...
why did it have to be you who was interested in him?
"please, take this." you say, handing him the same letter you had before. except this time, satoru sees the 'g.s' on it. 'geto suguru'. and you take out a box of his favourite snacks to hand to him. "thank you for everything, again. you're the best."
suguru takes it with ease, seeing how you looked at him. his gaze softens as he takes the treat as well. "you're welcome, y/n. anything you need, i'll help with." he puts the letter in his own bag before slinging am arm around your shoulders. "now, what're your plans for after?"
he was blatantly asking you out now! right after satoru told him he had feelings for you! such betrayal!
you two walk to the other end of the hallway, in the direction of your literature class. satoru slumps against the wall, furrowed brows and lips pressed into a thin line. after a second, he pushes his glasses up and lets out a slow exhale. he could get over this...
"gojo! may i please have a moment of your time?"
"wait no! me first!"
"gojo, can i talk to you?"
"please accept these!"
or maybe he couldn't.
valentines day was today and you danced into school with such confidence. you had a bouquet of flowers in your arms, chocolates of the sweetest kinds, and a bag of new perfume that you knew your crush would like.
you were so excited.
satoru, who was walking a few people behind you, was not.
he saw the amount of passion you put into the holiday, and it made him sick to know it was for his best friend. the guys was in such a bad mood, he ignored suguru and shoko's calls this morning to meet up and walk to school together like usual.
satoru clicked his tongue, thinking about how dramatic the whole valentines day idea was. really, who needed it all anyway?
in homeroom, he can hear your class (which is next to his, across the hall) start whooping and cheering when you walk in. and he knows it's you by the chants of your last name being heard. he sits in his chair in anguish.
"satoru, morning. finally." shoko says, sitting down as well. she grins, bitting the popsicle stick between her lips. "where are all of your valentines presents?"
"stuffed in my shoe locker and under my desk." he claimed, opening the top of it to showcase the blaring red and pink gifts. she picked at one pocky box, munching on the biscuits. "how about you?"
"i got a couple letters and cookies in my locker." she claims, shrugging her shoulders, "lots of 'em are from the badminton team. i don't know why."
satoru shrugs as well as soon as suguru sits down in front of him. the blue-eyed students scoffs, looking away.
"good morning, satoru." he says, noticing his friend's behaviour, "what's got his panties in a twist this morning? does he know we called him a hundred times?"
"i dunno'." shoko says, looking out the window to the school garden. "ask him."
"satoru, what's wrong? didn't get enough presents this year?" he teases, leaning in his chair to poke his head, "wake up late?"
but satoru angrily swats his hand away. the raven-haire boy blinks curiously before satoru glares at him. "why didn't you tell me you were interested in y/n?" he asks, hurt.
shoko looks back to the two boys, seeing suguru just as confused as she is. "you're into y/n?"
"what? no! who said that?" suguru retorts, hands up in defense, "i'm not interested in dating y/n, swear on my life."
"that's a lie!" satoru accuses, pointing a finger against his friend's nose, "shoko, i saw him and y/n all... all... familiar yesterday after period 2! he had his arm around them!"
"suguru..." shoko warns.
"wait wait, that's—you got it all wrong." suguru groans, now understanding. he digs through his bag and pulls out a piece of paper. "here. open it."
satoru pushes away the paper reading 'g.s'. "no way! i'm not reading y/n's love letter to you!"
"ugh! just open it!" suguru grunts, shoving it onto his desk.
satoru begrudgingly takes it and gently opens the letter, not wanting to rip it. once his eyes fall upon the page, he confirms that it's your handwriting.
'thank you for being the sweetest boy to me. i am truly honoured to know such a beautiful person, inside and out.'
satoru wants to barf.
'sitting near you in biology really helped me to understand you, satoru. you're not only a pretty face, but a world-class sweet tooth, a sucker for romantic cliches and a cologne-collector.'
satoru thinks this is the most beautiful thing he's ever read.
he contiues to read, expression changing, letting shoko and suguru understand his thoughts. the girl looks to the other boy, who shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes.
"i'm confused." shoko states, tilting her head.
"y/n isn't confessing to me, they're confessing—"
"y/n is confessing to me! me, satoru!" satoru exclaims, waving the letter around like a maniac. everyone else in the class was suddenly a listener, peaking at the trio. they were interested in finding out what the one confession that resulted in this reaction was. "oh my god, oh my god!"
suguru nods his head. placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "yes, yes, they are. i was meant to give you the letter this morning to read before homeroom, but someone was pissy." he scoffs, shaking his head, "so i had to go and tell y/n that plans had changed."
"you... helped y/n plan this all out?" satoru mumbles, "but you didn't even know!"
shoko chuckles, staring out the window again.
"i just said i wasn't paying attention so you didn't think i was snooping. which i was. and i only told you i knew y/n so you wouldn't get any ideas, like this." suguru circles the air with his finger, deadpanning at the clueless satoru, "you think anyone would do this without definitive proof the other person liked them?"
satoru continues to read the letter you wrote for him before his eyes land on the ending. "'please meet me at the school fountain before homeroom ends.'" he murmurs out, blinking, "suguru—"
"you were meant to go two minutes ago." his friend sings out, standing in front of shoko's desk. he points out the window, much like other students were doing in their own classrooms. "you should..."
when his friends turn around to him, satoru is already one foot out of the door. he's rushing downstairs (down three flights of stairs, actually) with your letter clutched in his hand. he almost flies into a couple teachers on the way to the garden, only for their attention to be caught by students opening the windows and pointing outside.
when he rushed through the doors to the garden, you're staring at the floor, still holding the flowers and gifts you brought to school with you. taking a moment to gather himself, satoru runs fingers through his hair and fixes his glasses. the pair you've complimented a thousand times.
satoru walks closer to you and when he catches your eye, you stand up straight and smile.
"satoru." you chime, not missing the thousand pairs of eyes that were following your every move. "good morning. happy valentines day."
you hold out the flowers to him. it's set in a nice box, and the treats are in a gift bag. when you give it to him, your smile is awkward but hopeful.
"happy valentines day, y/n." he replies, taking it from you. he sits down on the fountain edge, and you follow along. "i'm so sorry, i... i don't have anything for you."
"no, no, no." you retort, grinning, "it's fine. this was a surprise for you, anyway."
he sighs, "no, i'm sorry... please, let me make it up to you."
you laugh a little, placing a hand over his on his lap. the flowers were sat on the fountain with his gifts. "sure thing." you retort, "hey, suguru told me that this morning—"
"i'm sorry, i know, i just thought..." he begins, cutting you off. he looks embarrassed, heavy blush falling over his cheeks. "i saw you and suguru yesterday and you gave him that letter. had me thinkin' you were confessing to him instead of me."
you let out a small chuckle, making him gulp, "oh my goodness, i'm sorry, i didn't mean for you to see that. we were trying to be sneaky."
satoru's chest feels lighter, and he feels better just hearing it from you. he links his fingers with yours, facing you fully.
"ah, no it's fine." he tells you, the most purest form of adoration in his eyes that you can see from the top of his slanted down glasses. you grin softly. "listen, i have had a crush on you for months... and i was hoping that you'd go out with me. i want a chance to get to know you personally, away from any prying eyes."
you peer to the side, seeing the people watching you. they were practically hanging out the window, waving their hands and fighting to view the whole scene for themselves. cameras took photos and videos, capturing your moment with him.
"i'd love that, satoru." you say, scanning his face, "you're the best."
it only takes him a single second to reach his hand out and brush his thumb agaisnt your cheek. you don't freeze up though, only relaxing into him. he was the most inviting guy you've ever met.
"can i kiss you?" he asks, voice unwavering. his blue eyes are staring at your face with such kindness that it cannot be described.
you don't even say anything, only leaaning forward and pressing your lips to his. he's smiling against your lips, gentle hand caressing your cheek. your eyes flutter shut, holding his hand tightly.
cheers erupt from the school. screams and whoops from guys and girls alike. most students are heartbroken due to the obvious confession. nobody had even gotten that close to satoru. no one has been able to hold his hand, let alone get him to go crazy over a letter. you got him to race out of that classroom like a madman, and everyone was surely surprised.
the shouts die down as the kiss deescalates, many of the students sighing as they're forced to move on from the heart-throb gojo satoru.
when you pull away, satoru chases, leaving a gentle kiss against your forehead. your smile is wide and you pinch his cheek softly.
"you're such a drama queen, satoru." you say, standing up, "i was wondering why everyone started yelling and staring at me all of a sudden."
satoru stands with his presents, rubbing the back of his neck as he holds your hand. h goes to answer when a voice is heard from the fourth floor.
"the idiot took some convincing, y/n!" suguru shouts, waving his hand, "glad to know he's got some sense in him!"
"shut up, suguru!" satoru calls back, showing his fist.
"first period is about to start, you two!" the principle says through a window on the third floor, "this is all heart-warming, but you've failed two of ms kinoshita's classes, gojo!"
"r—right!" he retorts, pacing to the school entrance as people begin to 'ooh' at him. he looks back at you, smiling the brightest. "let's go out after school today, yeah? i'll buy you as many sweets as you want."
you chuckle, kissing his cheek, "my hero."
#gojo satoru#gojo satoru x reader#gojo#gojo x reader#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk#jjk x reader#satoru#satoru x reader
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The Lost Girl
You just wanted to travel and forget all about the drama you left behind. You didn't expect to fall in with four boys who would become another family. Maybe more.
[Part One of Three]
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm- I'm alive? Surprise! I'm still in a bit of a pickle with where I want part two to go, but I figured if I post this now then I can't back out and delete it. I need your help, but I'll ask at the bottom so I won't spoil this.
Words: 7.9K
Santa Carla is the total opposite of Mystic Falls and you couldn't have loved it here more if you tried. You grew up with pageants and balls and trying to stay at the top of the popularity totem pole, but you secretly loathed every second of it. Not to mention your sister was a beacon for the supernatural, attracting vampires like no one's business, which eventually led to you getting caught in the crossfire and being turned at the ripe age of twenty.
Stefan Salvatore did his best to teach you how to feed and control your blood lust, but his techniques just weren't cutting it for you. So Damon took over, leading Bonnie, Matt, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler deeming you untrustworthy. You don't know why they disliked your friendship with Damon so much, but their wariness of you only grew when you eventually befriended the Original Vampires that once sought to kill you, your family, and friends.
The last straw was when everyone started fighting over a cure for vampirism. They all thought there was enough of the cure to go around for all those who wanted it, but nope. There was only a single dose, and both Elena and Rebekah wanted it. So when you saw the lines being drawn, you packed a couple of bags and left to see the world.
The only person who knew of your travel plans were, surprisingly, Elijah and Klaus. Elijah was sad to see you go, especially since you were one of the only ones who he could trust, but Klaus was all for you seeing the world and experiencing life as you should have. You were more than content compelling your way through the trip, but the Mikaelson's were having none of that and gave you a card to use since they amassed a ridiculous amount of money over the years.
After deleting all social media, with the exception of a traveling Instagram account that was newly made, you bought a new phone and only gave your new number to Elijah and Klaus. You traveled abroad first, touring the most beautiful cities, museums, and seeing every landmark you could. You kept the Mikaelson brothers in the loop about everything that they sometimes surprised you by showing up for a week before flying back home.
For a year you saw all you could and then headed back to the States. You wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls, Virginia, so you settled in California. Santa Carla was the most nitty gritty town you'd ever seen, and it was the last place anyone in your family would expect for you to stay in.
It was perfect.
With a new hotel having been built in Santa Carla, you compelled yourself one of the suites indefinitely. You didn't want to purchase a house in case you needed to up and leave, and having a housekeeper stop by weekly was perfect.
You stood out amongst the locals of Santa Carla, it seeming like everyone walking around either had some crazy hairstyle, hair color, or numerous piercings. And then there was you, skin untouched and the only piercings you had being those in your ears.
So after a week of settling in and compelling those who needed compelling, you finally decided to hit the infamous boardwalk.
The boardwalk, for some reason, feels like you've stepped into the past. Could be because of the music playing or the way everyone dressed, but you know you didn't actually slip into the past given the cell phones in people's hands or air pods in people's ears. The bells, whistles, and flashing lights make you giddy, taking you back to a time when you were excited as a child to be attending the annual fair Mystic Falls put on, but the attendees were the total opposites of those you'd find in Mystic Falls.
The employees in charge of the various game booths attempt to entice you to play, but you rather spend your cash at the crafts section of the boardwalk. There was no use in paying for a rigged game that made sure you lost ninety percent of the time when you could buy handmade crafts and help support someone's living.
After buying some handmade jewelry and a couple of shirts, you decide to eat. There's a Chinese place that smells marvelous as you stroll by, so you turn back around and enter the establishment. And then almost as soon as you're seated, a waitress comes by to take your drink order. You quickly skim the menu as she gets your drink, then order a bowl of Hot and Sour soup, a plate of Chicken LoMein, two egg rolls, and a pan of fried dumplings. The waitress seems impressed, and you merely laugh it off before sipping your Coke.
As you wait for your food, you grab a napkin and start ripping it apart piece by piece as you stare out the window you'd chosen to sit by. People pass by, uncaring for what's going on in the small restaurant, but then there are two boys that you just so happen to clash gazes with. Both fit with the eighties aesthetic- one with wildly tamed blonde hair that only a true rocker could pull off and the other with a dirty blonde, curly mullet. Both hairstyles are wildly out of place, even if they're trying to make a comeback now, but fortunately for the boys they can pull it off.
"Hey, chika, you want some company?" The blonde with the teased hair shouts so you can hear him through the window.
Holding back a wince at his loud volume, you shake your head. "Maybe next time!"
"Aw. Come on, babe. You're breaking my heart!" He pouts, even as his friend smirks behind his fist.
You shrug, grinning, but are saved from having to interact any further when the waitress appears with your food. As the food is set in front of you and you thank her, you glance at the boys one last time while giving them a wink before digging in.
You casually devour your food bit by bit, asking for a refill on your Coke only once. Then when you've had your fill, you ask for your leftovers to be boxed up. And as you walk outside, you hand said leftovers to a couple of teens digging through a trash can.
Walking around, you soak in the night time atmosphere. The sweat from the humans and the oil used to deep fry all sorts of food is rather distracting from the ocean scented air wafting in, but none of it is as distracting as the copper smell you pick up on one particular gust of wind. There doesn't seem to be any panic-induced mayhem on the boardwalk, so you figure someone must have cut themselves and is getting bandaged up.
A diner further down the boardwalk advertises milkshakes on its main window, and suddenly a strawberry milkshake sounds superb. So after making a quick trip inside to secure yourself a milkshake, you're back on the boardwalk once again.
No one has bothered you the entire time, but the moment you perch yourself on the railing to sip and people watch, one confident individual saunters towards you. It hardly takes you two seconds to realize this individual is in his teens obviously thinking you're a teen as well. But given you were twenty when you were turned and have spent a few years undead, you're so not interested in whatever this boy has to offer.
Before the individual can open his mouth, you hold a hand up to stall him and shake your head. "Stop right there. Not interested."
The boy's expression drops into shock before quickly morphing back into his too confident persona. "Aw, come on, girl. You look like you're in need of some fun."
"I am, but you need to be at least this tall-" you say while holding your free hand at least a foot above his head, "-for me to ride that ride."
There's a snort to your right, but you ignore it, even ignoring the presence that jumps onto the railing next to you before sliding their arm around your shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Maybe the next girl you hit on won't have a height requirement."
There's even more laughter and the boy rethinks his approach before scoffing and leaving. You grin, wrapping your lips around the straw of your milkshake and turning your head to your new companions. "Blondies one and two," you muse. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just thought we'd play knight in shining armor," blondie one says. "I'm Paul. My friend is Marko."
"YN.."
Paul practically vibrates with energy. "So do I meet your height requirements?"
You laugh, uncaring when he steals your milkshake to sip from. "You may meet the height requirement, but I don't go for blondes. Sorry."
"Aw, chika, you wound me!" He feigns his hurt, holding a hand to his heart as you take your milkshake back. Marko can only laugh, shoving at his friend's shoulder when he leans a little too far his way. Once he corrects himself, he doesn't remove himself from your side. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone? Waiting for friends? Family?"
"Ugh, no." Your nose wrinkles. "Too much family drama for my tastes so I've been traveling the world for a little over a year now. Santa Carla seems like the least likely of places my family would think to look for me, so I'm staying as long as I can."
Marko seems interested as he leans around Paul to ask, "What's been your favorite place so far?"
"Tromsø, Norway," you reply.
"Why?"
"Because ever since I was a little girl, I've been obsessed with the aurora borealis. It's the best place to view it."
"Cool."
"Where are you staying?" Paul asks. "Maybe we can have a party one of these nights."
"Doubtful. I'm staying in a hotel suite and I have a feeling partying with you would lead to my place being trashed. No thanks."
Marko smirks. "Smart girl."
You grin and sip your milkshake as Marko comes around to lean against the railing on your other side. They ask some more about the places you've been, and you don't know what comes over you that you feel comfortable enough with these two to regale them with your tales of travel. In return, Marko and Paul tell you about themselves and their two other brothers. They tell you that they're all not originally from Santa Carla, but ended up finding each other throughout the years and made their own family unit in town.
Then just as you hop down to throw away your empty cup, the crowd seems to part as two individuals approach. Another blondie with a mullet and a brunette whose hair is almost as wild as Paul's. You can't tear your eyes from the brunette who is all too comfortable going shirtless with nothing but a weathered leather jacket hanging off his frame and some snug fitting jeans.
"Oh, I see how it is." Paul muses in your ear. "You like 'em dark haired."
You throw your elbow back, tearing your gaze away from the brunette in front of you to smirk over your shoulder at Paul when he grunts. Marko snickers at his brother's misfortune. "YN, this is David and Dwayne."
Both the new blondie and brunette nod at you, and you flash them back a faint smile. You're quick to toss your trash, then head back to your new friends. "Well, it was nice meeting you boys, but I should get going."
"Aw, come on, girlie. Hang for a bit more," Paul pleads, but you shake your head.
"Maybe next time."
"Will there actually be a next time or are you gently letting us down?" Marko wonders.
Your eyes roll. "We've only just met and you're already clingy?" You tut at him. Marko gapes and you wink at him. "Yes, there will be a next time. At least there will be if we cross paths again."
"We'll take that," Paul says. He slings an arm around Marko and smiles. "See you around, girlie."
The next afternoon, you decide to have some fun in the sun. You spend the early afternoon in your room, ordering room service and having a nice steak and fry lunch. While eating, you post a few pictures you snapped of the boardwalk nightlife, ferris wheel, and carousel all lit up. Then afterwards, you dress in a bikini before pulling on a pair of jeans shorts and a tank top. Only after slipping your feet into a pair of flip-flops do you pack a backpack with a beach towel, your phone, sunglasses, and some cash before taking your leave.
You're surprised to find that the beach isn't packed, so you pick a spot on the beach to lay out your towel and backpack. You spend a bit of time searching for sand dollars and shells, then go swimming in the ocean. Afterwards, you lay out on your towel with your sunglasses shielding your eyes. You doze on and off, and then just as the sun is setting you start to get up.
Shaking off your beach towel, you get rid of all the sand before folding it and shoving it into your backpack with your clothes. Then heading over to the beach showers, you rinse off all the sand and ocean water, and let yourself dry in the lingering sun rays before slipping your shorts back on.
In the middle of choosing what to eat, you hear catcalls and wolf whistles. You try to ignore it, hoping they're directed to someone else, but nope. They're directed at you. However, when you turn to glare and give the boys a piece of your mind, you find Paul and Marko beaming at you with their other brothers Dwayne and David just watching on.
Your glare vanishes and you roll your eyes as you slowly untense. "Do you guys have nothing better to do than check out girls on the boardwalk?"
"Nope." Paul hops off his bike and practically skips towards you. "What are you doing?"
"Heading to dinner. I spent most of the day on the beach so I'm starving."
"Ohhhh. What are we having?"
"I'm having pizza and wings. If you want to tag along, you buy your own."
"Done." He turns around and shouts, "Come on, boys. We're getting pizza!"
You shake your head and greet Marko when he approaches, smiling at the other two who have yet to speak up. Paul takes the lead and you walk side by side with Marko. The pizza place isn't far and you all head inside. You place your order first- a medium Hawaiian and a side order of boneless honey bbq wings. You accept your number tag after paying and then wait for your new friends to order as well. Then once they've got their own number tag, Paul leads the way to a large booth meant for a large group at the back.
Paul and Marko slide into opposite sides of the booth, and it only takes you a second to scoot in next to Marko before placing your bag at your feet. Paul gasps and you chuckle. "What? Marko seems less likely to continuously elbow me as I try to eat."
"That's cold, girl."
You wink at Paul and are surprised when Dwayne scoots in on your other side. David settles in next to Paul and his ice blue eyes practically pierce you. "So what's a girl like you doing out here all alone?"
"You mean Paul didn't tell you?"
"I'm asking you."
The coolness of his voice makes you arch an eyebrow at him, but Paul's snickering keeps you at ease. So in the end, you shrug. "My siblings and I weren't seeing eye to eye for a while. I had some money put away to take a trip out of the States, but my new found family wasn't having any of that and gave me access to their money. I've traveled for a year before coming back, staying in a place furthest from my hometown."
"Parents?"
"Dead." Paul's smile falters and you kick him under the table. "None of that. It's been a while. It's fine."
"How did it happen?" Marko asks.
You face him briefly before saying, "My sister had a fight with her boyfriend and asked our parents to pick her up from a party. They did, but on the way back home my dad somehow lost control of the car and drove off a bridge. A bystander found them, but by the time he dove under water, my dad made the bystander get my sister out first. My parents ended up drowning."
"Do you have plans on returning?"
"Eventually." Just then a waitress stops by to deliver your drinks. You grin as Paul immediately starts flirting, sipping your Coke as the waitress blushes and stutters before leaving. "These poor Santa Carla girls have no idea how to handle you, do they?"
"Not a clue."
As Marko and Paul laugh, you shake your head rather fondly. You don't know what it is about this group that makes you feel at ease with them, but you're glad to have some people to talk to while you're in town. Another group enters the establishment, a little unruly as they find themselves a table. One of them catches your gaze and you grimace when you notice him leering at you.
Feeling a little exposed, you reach for your bag under the table and pull free your tank top. You quickly pull it on and then free your phone while waiting for your food, not paying much attention to Dwayne who's shifting in his seat next to you. You do, however, notice when something is dropped on your shoulders and realize Dwayne has given up his jacket.
You freeze and quickly glance up at Dwayne, taking a moment to stare at all the bronze skin now on display, but his glare is directed at the table of troublemakers who are snickering among each other. "Uhh.."
"Just wear it."
"Okay."
Those are the first three words Dwayne has spoken to you and you absolutely do not shiver at the sound of his voice. Paul, Marko, and even David sense something else and you flip them off after slipping your arms through the sleeves of Dwayne's jacket. Then just as you go to sip on your drink, your phone starts ringing with a video call.
Big Bad Wolf, complete with a wolf emoji, is stamped across the top of your phone above a picture of a smirking Klaus. "Uhh, do you guys mind if I accept this?"
"Go ahead, girlie."
You accept the call, keeping it so that only you're on screen. "What do you want?"
"Is that any way to talk to me, love?" You roll your eyes, grinning, and Klaus chuckles. "What are you doing?"
"Uhh, I'm out to dinner with some new friends," you say.
"You've already made friends?"
"Mhm. Look." You turn so Marko is in frame. "This is Marko." Marko grins and nods. Then you flip the camera and catch Paul. "This is Paul and David is next to him, but David is glaring at me. I'm pretty sure he'd kill me if I put him on camera."
Klaus chuckles. "Fair enough."
"And then this.." You glance at Dwayne, but he merely arches an eyebrow at you. You grin and turn the camera on him. "This is Dwayne."
A split second later and then, "No."
"W-What?" You splutter. Paul and Marko choke on a laugh, and finally both David and Dwayne smirk. "What do you mean no?"
"Elijah!"
Your eyes widen. "Why are you calling 'lijah? Don't call 'lijah!"
Elijah appears next to Klaus and you groan. "Go on, sweetheart. Put your friend on."
"Marko? Or Paul?"
"Don't play dumb."
You grumble and put Dwayne on camera. "Absolutely not," Elijah says.
"You guys are embarrassing," you grumble. "He's literally only said three words to me."
"Mhm. And whose jacket are you wearing?" Klaus asks.
You pout. "I hate you." Just then you catch sight of two waitresses coming with your pizza. "Oh, look. Food's here! I'll talk to you gentlemen later."
"YN-"
"I'm fine, Klaus. I'm okay and I'm happy. I promise."
"Well okay then. Call me back when you get to your room."
"Will do, big bad wolf. Talk to you later."
You end the call just as a pizza is being placed in front of Paul and Marko, then yours is placed in front of you, and then another is placed in front of David and Dwayne. You're handed your boneless wings, and you happily wiggle in your seat. You're starving!
After you take your first bite of the sweet Hawaiian pizza, David asks, "So was that your boyfriend?"
"Ew. No." Your nose wrinkles and you quickly swallow your bite of food. "Klaus and Elijah are like my older brothers. They're the two who are funding my whole trip."
"They sound fancy with those posh accents of theirs," Paul muses.
"They are fancy," you admit. "They host balls and everything. I seriously hated wearing those dresses with a poofy skirt. They're so uncomfortable to sit in."
"No way!" Paul laughs.
"Mhm. Look."
As you eat some more of your food one-handed, you open the photos app on your phone and seek out the album from all the parties you attended. You hand your phone over to Paul, and Marko actually leans across the table to get a glimpse of the life you left behind.
As the two of them swipe picture after picture, laughing, you eat in peace. You even crack a grin when Dwayne picks off your tray of boneless wings, chuckling when he tells you it's payment for wearing his jacket. You end up having to tell the boys who is who every time they ask and deny any romantic relationship accusations when a picture of you dancing with Damon pops up. You admit he was a good friend up until his feelings for your sister clouded his judgment and you'd had enough of their drama.
Dinner proceeds uninterrupted, but it's when you get up to leave that the table of troublemakers from earlier causes an issue. With Dwayne's jacket returned to him, you follow the group as David leads the way out. You've just passed the table of leering individuals when a loud smack! resonates in the room and a brief stinging pain blossoms on your butt. You freeze, your new friends freeze, and then you're whirling around to glare at the culprit. You slowly look at the smug individual as his friends cackle like morons.
Anger flaring, your hand whips out and grasps the guy by the back of the neck. You slam his head down onto the table, causing him to grunt and his friends to fall quiet. You lean down so your mouth is next to his ear and grit out, "Touch me again and I'll rip your fucking throat out." You put pressure on his neck, causing the table to groan under the weight of the pressure. "With my teeth," you hiss. Pushing off the too quiet guy and facing your new friends once more, you shrug. "What?"
David, Dwayne, Marko, and Paul just stare at you before chuckling.
"You're scary, girl. I like it."
With a roll of your eyes, you step forward and push past Paul. "Come on. Show me what Santa Carla has to offer."
Over the course of a week, you hang out with who the locals have dubbed the Lost Boys. Paul and Marko treat you like a long lost best friend, Dwayne has taken to hovering over your shoulder, and David is pretty indifferent to your presence although he will stand up for you if need be. Your senses tell you there's something off about the boys, but you don't realize what it is until you scent the coppery fragrance of blood coming off of them one night they're late to meet you.
If they're vampires, they must be vampires who don't know who the Mikaelsons are because none of them recognized the family in your pictures. But you don't call them out, nor do you hint about yourself, at least not until you're walking on the beach one night and your senses are assaulted with the scent of a lot of blood and screams off in the distance.
Glancing around, you notice the boardwalk is empty and shutting down. The beach where you're at is empty as well, and as you speed towards the sound of terror, your suspicions are proven correct about the Lost Boys.
They're unlike any vampires you've seen, more brutal in their feeding than even the Big Bad Hybrid himself. Their vampire visages showcase a true monster, but for some reason it doesn't bother you as it probably should. They're sinking their fangs into necks, shoulders, torsos, and even skulls, laughing all the while their victims scream in horror.
In their feeding frenzy, they don't notice you standing just on the outskirts of the firelight. Limbs are ripped from bodies before being tossed into the fire, blood spraying carelessly across the sand. But the moment the frenzy dies down, you can't help but make an entrance.
Slowly clapping, you smirk as all four vampires freeze and turn towards you as you walk into the light. David snarls, his monstrous face still on display as Paul and Marko quickly change their features. Their expressions are a bit crestfallen as you continue to find amusement in this situation, so you walk towards Dwayne who has gone stoic. "I get the bloodlust, but do you guys have to be such messy eaters? Gross." You wrinkle your nose as you kick an arm into the raging fire.
"W-What?" Paul splutters.
Looking back at Dwayne, you reach over and run a finger through the blood staining his chest. Then popping that same finger into your mouth, you wrap your tongue around your finger and savor the fresh blood now coating your tongue. You feel the veins beneath your eyes slither to the surface and your fangs elongate in your mouth. Then meeting Dwayne's gaze, you flash him a fangy grin. "I prefer to compel, eat, and release, but you do you I guess."
"Holy shit. You- you're a vampire?!"
Meeting Marko's stunned expression, you wink.
"You have a lot of explaining to do," David says.
"Sure." You meet his now ice-blue gaze. "But only after you clean up after yourselves. This," you say while gesturing to their dismembered victims, "is sloppy."
You watch as David oversees the cleanup of their little section of the beach, burning the bodies and kicking sand over the spilled blood. Afterwards, they all take a dip in the ocean to cleanse themselves of their meal.
On the way to their bikes which are parked just a bit down the beach, Paul asks, "So how old are you?"
"Which age are you referring to? The age I was when I was turned or how many years I've been a vampire?"
"Both."
"I was turned at twenty," you say, "and I've been a vampire for less than five years."
"No shit? How were you introduced to this world?"
"That.. is a very long story. Why don't we get someplace where I can actually tell it?"
As their bikes get nearer, you hiss at Paul when he pushes you in Dwayne's direction. Almost as if it was expected of you to ride with Dwayne, he settles on the seat of his bike before offering you a hand so you can situate yourself behind him.
Hanging on loosely, you enjoy the ride and take amusement in the sudden turns and jumps they take to try and startle you. But instead of being shaken, you merely laugh and pinch Dwayne's side when you're jostled too much.
The drive to the cliffs that you know to be Hudson's Bluff, overlooking the disgruntled sea, is rather short. You have a moment to glance down a rickety, wooden staircase before the group is driving down them one by one. You're jostled even more as the bike is driven over various rocks and through a gaping hole in the fence that's meant to keep trespassers out. They drive into a cave where the bikes are then parked, and you climb off to follow Paul down a very humid path.
Swiping cobwebs, vines, and roots out of the way, you're then led into a cavernous room. There are shafts of moonlight lighting up the space, and then Paul and Marko fire up barrels all around the space. The place is trashed, but you quickly realize it's not a normal cave. There's a sofa, chairs, and a broken water fountain. There's what appears to be a long counter- or was it a desk?- and a tattered portrait hanging behind it.
"What is this place?" You ask as you glance around in wonder. They obviously made it their own- seashells and broken CDs hanging from every place available, as well as hundreds of melted candles over every surface. You even spot a mattress, pillows, and blankets hidden behind some type of gauzy material.
"This was the hottest resort back in the day," David drawls. "Too bad they built it on a fault line though. When the big one hit San Francisco in 1906, this place took a header down into the ground when it split open. It's been our home ever since."
"Nice." You plop down on a couch, sighing as you stare at each boy. "So what do you wanna know?"
"Everything." David takes a seat on a wheelchair, staring right at you. "Start from the beginning."
"Fair enough. I was born and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia to parents who ran their own business. I didn't want for anything and ended up being a letdown when I wasn't into pageants as my mother hoped I would be."
"Did your parents even die by drowning?" Marko asks.
"Yes. That was true," you tell him. "After their death, my aunt Jenna took in me, Elena, and Jeremy. Both my siblings grieved differently, but when the new school year started, my sister did a complete turnaround when Stefan Salvatore entered the picture."
"Why do I get the feeling this Salvatore dude is a major player in your story?" Paul asks.
"Because he is. Unbeknownst to any of us, Stefan Salvatore was vampire number one. He was drawn to Mystic Falls all because of my sister Elena."
"Why your sister?" Dwayne asks, startling you. He rarely spoke up, but when he did, you couldn't help but be drawn to him.
"Do you guys know what a doppelganger is?" At their nods, you explain. "Elena was the latest human doppelganger. The previous doppelganger, Katherine, toyed with two brothers back in 1864. The Salvatore brothers, to be exact."
"Shit." Paul giggles. "Talk about a vampire novella."
"Anyway, Katherine toyed with Damon's feelings and made him fall in love with her. When she tried the same with Stefan, he resisted so she compelled him to love her. And then when it came to light that there were many vampires in town, every vampire was rounded up, vervained, and anyone who associated with them were killed. As it just so happens, the Salvatore brothers' father found out his sons were romantically linked with Katherine, so he shot them. Unfortunately for him, Katherine had been feeding the boys her blood, so when they were killed, they didn't stay dead for long.
"Fast forward to the present time and both Salvatores are now salivating for the newest doppelganger. Only this time, Stefan has fallen in love with Elena without any compulsion, and so has Damon. Katherine's apparently been keeping tabs on the brothers and she's not happy that Elena has the love of the brothers."
David makes a motion with his hand to hurry you along. "How did you turn?"
"Katherine has made it her mission to make Elena's life a living hell, so what better way than to kill one of her best friends and older sister?"
Paul gapes. "You're joking."
"Nope. The crazy bitch fed me her blood before snapping my neck, then smothered Caroline who happened to have Damon's blood in her system. When we woke up in transition and fed on human blood to complete the transition, half of our friends turned on us. We had to rely on Damon and Stefan to teach us to control our bloodlust, but things were never the same. And to top it all off, learning to become a vampire was the least of our worries."
"What's more important than knowing you've died and have to kill people to survive?"
"How about that one of the Original vampires- who is over a thousand years old, by the way- needs the blood of a human doppelganger to break the curse on him, so he decides it's his turn to make your family's life hell as well?"
"Oh shit. What curse?" Paul asks.
You slowly smirk. "Niklaus Mikaelson is not just one of the original vampires, but he's the one and only original hybrid. He's half vampire, half wolf, and one of the most lethal individuals that still walks this earth."
The boys fall silent, but then Marko speaks up.
"Hold on. The dude funding your trip around the world is the same person who made your life a living hell?"
"Yep," you muse. "We were at each other's throats for the longest time, then his sister killed my sister which turned her into a vampire as well, and there was just a shit load more drama with doppelgangers, witches, werewolves, and hybrids." You shrug. "Elijah was never truly terrible, so I spoke more with him first, but then Klaus really took the brother role to heart. The Mikaelsons have kind of adopted me, and my siblings and friends didn't take too kindly to that. So, to avoid all the drama, I left. And now here I am."
For the rest of the late night and early morning, you answer all questions you can. Paul and Marko are interested to see the differences between you and them, but David and Dwayne are more interested in learning about the Original vampires and their unique differences. Their biggest hangup, however, is that the sun has no effect on you like it does them. Sure you both will catch on fire, but it doesn't pull you to sleep the day away like it does them. You're a bit jealous that they can fly, but you're so much faster than any of them.
The moment David mentions the impending sunrise is your cue to go, so you bid farewell to your friends before winking at Paul and disappearing before they can even blink.
For the next couple of days, you keep yourself busy by running some errands for Klaus. You meet with vampires and piss off a couple of werewolf packs, but all in all the work gets done. You hadn't been able to keep in touch with the Lost Boys, so Paul and Marko whoop in cheer when they spot you.
"Well if it isn't Miss Mystic Falls," Paul muses. "Where the hell have you been, chika?"
"Sorry. Sorry!" You lean against the railing in between the group, grimacing. "I had a few things to do and since you're all allergic to modern technology, I couldn't text or call."
"Anything we need to know about?" David wonders.
Normally you'd say no, but Santa Carla is his territory and you don't want any bad blood with him. "Not really. I had a few things to pick up for Klaus and a few messages to deliver to some werewolf packs up North."
David frowns. "There are packs nearby?"
"The closest one is fifty miles out, but they're all pretty scared of Klaus and what he can do so they stay in line. If there's anything to worry about, it's any lone wolves who decide to take shelter in the woods around Hudson's Bluff and don't give a flying fuck about the Original Hybrid."
"Pft. We can take on a rogue werewolf if need be," Paul says.
"You say that now, but you won't be saying much when you get bitten by one. Remember, werewolf bites are lethal to us vampires." Paul's smugness dims. "Now who's good to eat around here? I didn't have time to grab some blood bags from the hospital."
"Stay away from the Surf Nazis," Dwayne says.
"Surf Nazis? What the hell kind of name is that?" Your nose wrinkles in distaste.
"A name that they've had since the eighties," Marko says. "It just stuck because they're still a bunch of racist and bigoted pricks."
"Fair enough. So, if I can't eat them, who can I eat?"
All four boys readily scan the crowd, excited at the prospect of picking your dinner.
"Do you have a preference? Male or female?" David asks.
"No junkies and I'm good with either male or female."
After mere seconds, David already has his pick. "On your three. Group of guys keep glancing this way. I'm pretty sure they're not checking Marko out."
You subtly glance at them and figure any one of them is good enough. "Alright. Since you guys are intimidating as fuck, you're gonna say goodbye and go do your own thing. Whoever approaches me first is dinner."
"Boo. You're no fun." Paul's the first hop off his bike, giving you a side hug. "We'll be watching from the roof."
"Of course you will." You roll your eyes, laughing.
Marko winks at you as he follows after Paul, David nods at you, but it's Dwayne who makes you arch an eyebrow at him as he glares at the group of guys before leaving. You chuckle at the oddness of it all before shaking it off and then pulling out your phone to kill some time.
It doesn't take long at all for someone to approach you and you easily fall into the role of the lone human girl way too easily. You chat for a bit and find out he's in fact in college, on break for a week and just looking for some fun. You tell him you're taking a gap year, just passing through Santa Carla and was hoping for some fun as well. His lecherous grin lets him know you have him on the hook.
"Wanna take a ride on the ferris wheel?" He asks.
"I'll do you one better. I say we visit an alley away from prying eyes without giving any ride operators an eye full."
"Oh, fuck yes."
Smirking in triumph, you hop off the railing and grab up the guy's hand. You briefly meet his friends' gaze before winking at them, leading their friend off to what they think is going to be a very good time. For you it will be, but for him? Not so much.
Once at an alley that doesn't have much traffic passing by either end, you lure the guy inside. In the middle of the alley, you turn so your back is against the wall and let him grab you by the hips. But as you cradle his face before he kisses you, you meet his gaze and say, "Don't scream. Don't fight. This will be painless."
The guy goes quiet, and you let your face change before his very eyes. He tenses, but he stays stock still without uttering a peep. Then reaching around to grasp the hair at the back of his head, you angle his head so you can sink your fangs into his neck. You drink and drink, satiating your thirst while listening for the first skip of his heart. When you've had enough, you clean his neck wound of any blood and then prick your tongue with a fang to smear your own blood on the bite wound. It heals after a minute, and you pull back to meet his gaze once more.
"When you get back to your friends, you're gonna be smug but also a little bit let down. Admit I'm the greatest kisser you've ever had, but before we could get to any of the good stuff, we were interrupted by a homeless couple."
"We were interrupted by a homeless couple," he parrots back.
"Good boy. Now to make things more believable..." You slowly smirk before pulling him close, capturing his lips with your own.
The guy is shaken out of his compulsion and his arms wrap low around your waist to pull you even closer to him. You kiss him roughly to make sure his lips appear swollen and even muss his hair up. But the moment you reach under his shirt and rake your nails across his back, causing him to groan, you hear someone drop down beside you.
One second, you're enjoying a kiss and the next your victim is shoved away from you. Dwayne practically puts himself between you and your meal as he snarls, "Get. Lost."
The other individuals drop down into the alley, and you meet three amused expressions. Paul and Marko are snickering quietly whereas David is smirking at his dark-haired brother.
"You alright there, Dwayne?"
Dwayne turns, expression unimpressed at David's question. Instead of answering him, he turns his stare on you. "What?" You feign innocence. "I had to sell it. His friends needed to believe I brought him in here for anything other than feeding."
"Whatever. Next time, just kill the guy."
As Dwayne stalks off, you smile at his back. The moment he disappears, you ask, "Was that- was that jealousy?"
"Yep." Paul skips to you, draping an arm around your shoulders. "Dwayne's always been possessive, but it's been a long time since he took real interest in someone."
"This is going to be fun," Marko muses.
You roll your eyes and sigh but can't help but agree.
Over the course of another few days, it's now very obvious that Dwayne's hovering wasn't just because you were a female. He most definitely knows you can take care of yourself, yet he's still there, but now he's openly snarling when someone looks at you a little too long. To placate him, you only ride with him and pull him into the V of your thighs when you're sitting on the railing. He starts tensing up the moment you all people watch for your next meal and other guys stare back, but the tension drops from his shoulders when you hop onto the railing, pull him into the V of your thighs, and hug him from behind.
Nothing intimate happens between you and Dwayne, but it becomes an unspoken rule among the small coven that you're off limits.
Everything seems to be going well until you meet the boys on the boardwalk one night and David looks livid.
Your smile instantly vanishes. "What's wrong?"
"The woods smell like fuckin' dog," he seethes.
Immediately your gaze snaps towards the sky and your heart sinks. "It's a full moon."
"We know. We're gonna try and kill this wolf for stepping into our territory and pissin' all over the place."
"What?" Your voice is lethally quiet as you meet David's gaze. "You have to be joking. One bite- hell, even one nip!- is a death sentence."
"We'll be fine. We just thought we'd let you know."
As they turn to mount their bikes, you swear. "Goddammit. Wait for me. You're not doing this alone."
You climb onto the back of Dwayne's bike, wrapping your arms around his waist as you glare at the others for their idiotic choices. They're quite solemn as they drive to the woods, and you keep your eyes peeled for the werewolf in question. As they come to a stop, you climb off and glance around the eerily quiet woods.
"So do you have any tips on tracking a werewolf?" Paul muses.
You gulp. "It's a full moon and this wolf most likely claimed these woods as theirs. It'll be hunting us."
The boys chuckle and start walking, combing the woods for any sight of the wolf. It isn't long until a twig snaps- a twig that neither you nor the boys have stepped on. You all freeze.
"Showtime?" Marko wonders.
You sigh. "Be prepared to run. Werewolves can match a vampire's speed on the nights of a full moon."
"We'll be alright."
Almost as soon as the words leave Marko's mouth, the werewolf rushes in. It takes down Paul by his knees, standing on his back and snarling. Before he can snap his jaws, you rush over and kick the werewolf to send it flying.
"What the fuck was that?!" Paul incredulously asks as he hurriedly climbs back to his feet.
"A werewolf," you deadpan. "Keep your guard up. It'll come back."
For a few minutes, it seems like the werewolf is toying with all of you. It keeps knocking down the boys, snarling before disappearing. You've kicked it off your friends three times by now, but the second you hear a howl in the distance, you and the boys freeze.
"There's a second one?" You ask. David shrugs and you bite your tongue to keep from giving him a verbal lashing. "It was stupid to do this on the night of a full moon. We need to leave right now, and I'll do my best to sniff out the werewolves tomorrow so we can handle them when they're in their human forms."
"How much harder can two werewolves be?"
"Pretty fuckin' hard, David. I know you're a badass and all, but we need to do this another night."
Before David can answer, Dwayne shouts. You whirl around, eyes widening at seeing a werewolf pinning him to the ground with its sharp teeth inches from his face. Without thinking, you fly at the wolf, tackling it off of him. You and the wolf scramble for the upper hand and you hiss when there's a pain in your shoulder.
Eventually, you manage to pin the wolf to the ground by its neck and shove your hand into its chest cavity to yank out its heart. With the wolf dead, you toss the heart aside. "Now will you listen to me? This was such a stupid fucking idea." The boys remain quiet, staring at her.
Actually, they're staring at your shoulder.
"What?"
Dwayne steps forward, carefully reaching for your arm and pulling you a step towards him. You frown, but then hiss when he moves the neckline of your shirt off your shoulder. "You're bit."
Your heart falls into your stomach and you quickly glance at the shoulder that you now realize is burning. Your eyes fill with tears. "O-Oh."
"Oh? Oh?!" Dwayne nearly shouts. "Werewolf bites are lethal, remember? How could you be so goddamn stupid?!"
Your bottom lip trembles. "I'm well aware of that, Dwayne. I was the one who told you to hunt the werewolf another night, remember?" You sigh and pull your hand free from his grasp. You take a moment to collect your thoughts before admitting, "There's a cure. Only a select few know and the cure is hard to get your hands on unless you're on friendly terms with those who have access to it. It's not my secret to divulge, so I was compelled to not say anything unless it was an emergency."
"What is it?" Dwayne asks. "We'll get it."
"You can't. But I can," you admit. "Let's just get to the cave. I have a phone call to make."
So, for part two, do we want the Mystic Falls gang to follow Klaus to Santa Carla or do we want the Santa Carla gang to visit Mystic Falls?
#the lost boys#the lost boys imagine#the lost boys fanfiction#lost boys x reader#the lost boys x reader#dwayne x reader#the vampire diaries imagine#the vampire diaries fanfiction#david#dwayne#paul#marko#klaus mikaelson#elijah mikaelson
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could you pretend to be in love? (01/10)
The Proposal
pairing: modern!aemond × fem!reader (fake dating)
summary: with his last relationship ending in disaster and giving the college a lot to talk about, the most popular guy comes to you for help to save his reputation. but you never expected him to need to fake a relationship... with you.
word count: 4.8k
series masterlist • next part
AHHH GUYS I am so excited!
okey this is an unexpected idea, obviously I have been inspired by all the boys i loved before because recently i watch the three movies and i love the result of this and I have so much prepared for it that I'm so excited for you guys to read it already:)
I still have a bit more to work on but so far I'm loving it so I look forward to reading your opinions on it, for now enjoy a small part of everything to come! thank you for reading and for your support❣
also leaked everything I have planned a few moments ago but in spanish. I didn't even put the draft to post it, so I don't know what happened but it was my cue to finally share this hehe
"Y/N... I need your help."
That was the first thing someone said to you one Thursday morning in the library before your Science class started, this beginning a rather... peculiar day.
But you didn't expect those words to be said by Aemond Targaryen, the most popular guy in basically the whole school, to you, the most introverted girl in the class and probably not in the whole school since there are people even more introverted than you, but something like that.
So you slowly put your book down, raising your gaze to watch Aemond in front of you slightly confused and expectantly.
And the first thing you see is his eager and needy gaze in your direction, completely attentive to you. His hand grips the strap of his backpack and his gorgeous silver hair falls elegantly like a curtain down his back.
"Y-yes?"
"I'm..." he starts to tell you a little hesitantly, "I'm interrupting you with something?"
"Hum..." you look at your books scattered around the table for a moment, "I'm just... studying for the test on Monday."
"Oh," he nods absently, "Okay, listen, I don't want to stop you but this is really important and I need you to listen to me," he pleads quietly, looking really desperate, "The faster we talk, the faster I'll leave you alone and you can get back to studying."
And this is what gets your attention completely.
However, you continue to feel a mixture of mild surprise and confusion as it is unusual for him to address you or for you to talk to him despite being in the same classes.
You almost always find yourself in the corners, away from conversations and curious glances, although that doesn't mean that you are not participative and one of the best in your class, since you are always taking notes and concentrating on your studies.
You don't really talk to many people, only to people who are just as untalkative and quiet as you are.
And on the other hand, there is Aemond Targaryen, also a student just as dedicated as you and the best in the class, with the difference that he always occupies a place at the front of the classroom, always surrounded by friends and admirers.
He is the type of person that everyone notices and not only because of his unusual appearance, which in fact drives all the girls crazy, but also because of his charisma, personality and for being the captain of the lacrosse team.
And this is why despite being in the same classes, neither of you had ever had a reason to cross words before. You didn't even know that he knew your name, while everyone around you knows his.
"Okay..." you say not entirely convinced, "What is it?"
Aemond takes a deep breath of air, taking his gaze away from yours for a moment, looking a bit nervous and hesitant, which is very rare from him, as he has always proven to be a decisive and firm person for everything.
And in an act of nerves, he quickly takes a seat in front of you, still looking just as desperate as before.
"Look, I know we don't talk much even though we share classes..." he pauses a little, "Well, we don't really talk at all," he corrects himself, "And I also know you don't have any reason to... help me, but..." he sighs frustrated, "I really need your help."
You look expectant, waiting for him to tell you more, but apparently he himself doesn't know what it is he's going to ask you for help with, or rather he can't believe it, as he looks very nervous and can't find the right words to tell you.
So before asking the big question, he speaks again first.
"Do you know my ex-girlfriend? Alys Rivers?"
You raise your eyebrows at him a little, still expectantly, not understanding what that has to do with him asking for your help and you make your confusion clear for a moment, but still nod in his direction.
Because of course, how could you not know who Alys Rivers is?
She's like a more modern version of walking Regina George, with the other difference being that Alys is black hair.
"Ah... yeah."
"And I'm sure you must know what happened between me and her recently," he tells you cautiously and also a little expectantly.
"I think the whole school knows," you make it clear to him, in a soft tone.
"Yeah, of course, I just wanted to make sure," he tells you without further elaboration, "Anyway, I need your help with that."
You frown and look at him not entirely convinced.
"You want to talk about how your ex-girlfriend cheated on you?"
"No, no, not that, of course not," he hurries to say, "I need your help with her, with Alys," he clarifies but you're still just as confused.
"Aemond, you're not being entirely cle-
"I need you to fake a relationship with me."
He tells you bluntly, in an impulsive act to tell you once and for all before it becomes more difficult, causing you to become speechless and disbelief and surprise to flash in your eyes and gaze.
Suddenly your heart starts beating too fast, completely bewildered, waiting for him to tell you it's a joke.
However, the expression on his face makes it clear to you that he is not joking and that he is being terribly serious and honest about this, despite how absurd his words have sounded, making you feel only even more confused.
"I'm serious, Y/N. I'm really asking you this," he states to you, in a low voice, completely honest and desperate.
Again, surprise washes over you and a wave of insecurity washes over your entire insides, as you can't quite believe it and understand it.
"W-what?"
You almost whisper, even with all the disbelief in your gaze. And he lets out a sigh, bringing his hands to his head.
"Look, I know it sounds crazy and ridiculous, but... I really need to do this with someone," he says softly, pleadingly and quietly, "And not have anyone suspect, of course. This just to make Alys jealous and to stop me looking like a fool in front of the whole school after what she did."
You continue to stare at him incredulously, your lips parted and your brow furrowed, saying nothing for a few moments as Aemond in front of you begins to lose patience.
But he understands and knows what you must be thinking, it's the same thing he thought when he came up with this 'great' idea. He knew you would look at him the way you are looking at him now, like a madman.
"I'm sure it won't take us long, just enough time to convince the whole school and no more," he tries to convince you, insistent.
"But..." you say incredulously, "Do you realize what you're talking about?"
"Yes, I realize it. But it's not like it's the biggest crime or the biggest scam in the world either," he tells you absurdly.
Another silence.
You definitely didn't expect him to tell you all this and why he wants to. You understand his desperation since literally the whole school found out that Alys cheated on the hottest guy in the whole school with a college guy or something. And she along with him were the perfect couple of the moment.
So you understand that he's upset and humiliated, but he's willing to go to this length?
You are not on the same page as him.
"Please, Y/N," he begs you low and watching you completely intently.
"Hum..." you say beginning to feel uncomfortable, as you look away from him, "I-I'm sorry, but I'm sure someone else could help you, Ae-
"Please," he says desperately, "At least consider it."
"Aemond, this is literally the first conversation we've both had after sharing classes for almost three years," you tell him incredulously, trying to prove your point, "We don't talk to each other, we don't really know each other and for you to suddenly ask me for help with this..." you pause, then shrug, "I don't understand."
"It's not that hard to understand," he says still insistent, "And I get what you mean, but..." he lets out a sigh, "Look, I haven't asked anyone else for help, you're the first because I want you to be the one to do this with me-
"You don't need to try to make me feel special, you know? I-I don't...
"No, that's not why," he assures you, "In fact you're the only one who could help me, there's no one better," he explains, "I've been watching you lately, you're discreet, you hardly talk to anyone, basically no one notices you and this way, no one will expect it, not even Alys."
And even though he tried to explain himself in the best way without malice in his words and without referring to you in a bad way when explaining why you, you feel a slight sharp pain in your chest with confusion, sadness and resentment invading you.
"You don't need to explain who I am or what I'm like," you say in your low voice, avoiding looking him in the eye, trying to control your tone that conveys sadness but also seriousness, "Nor do you need me to be the resolution to your problems."
Aemond's gaze transforms to one of concern and distress, watching you completely intently.
"No, no, wait," he says instantly, his tone full of regret, "Fuck, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant, rea-
"Don't worry about it anymore," you reply with a nonchalant wave of your hand, keeping your gaze serious as you begin to put your things away.
"No, please, Y/N, wait," he pleads, trying to stop you, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put you down or anything. I just wanted to explain-
"Look, I understand what you want to accomplish, but that doesn't justify using someone else, especially someone you barely know, to solve your own problems."
"Y/N, please. I'm sorry, just let me-
He tries to stop you, looking for an opportunity to clear the air, but you're already leaving.
"I can't help you," you interrupt him again in a final tone.
And without further ado you turn away from him, not caring that you've left the books on the table without returning them to the shelves. And even though he tries to stop you between apologies, you don't let him and walk away from him.
Of course, that wouldn't be the only time Aemond would try to talk to you.
After what happened in the library, no matter where you were, even being in the last empty halls on the top floor during lunchtime, Aemond would always find you to try to talk and apologize.
But you whenever you saw him approaching, you would always slip into another hallway or blend in among all the other students, looking for and finding any alternative to avoid talking to him.
But he kept trying.
And you didn't understand how you suddenly went from having your nose stuck in books all the time, to going from avoiding the hottest and most popular guy in the whole school.
Because you knew that not only would he try to apologize, he would also try to convince you again about his idea and right now you had too many things on your mind to worry about other people's needs.
So one day, taking advantage of the fact that you have a free class after lunchtime and you won't have to worry about Aemond for a while, you head to the schoolyard, choose a table, set up your laptop, open a folder and put on your headphones.
But it seems that things are not in your favor today.
You haven't even played your Spotify playlist when you see Aemond approaching in the distance from the lacrosse field.
You almost want to cry from frustration.
So without wasting any time, you stand up and quickly start putting your things away.
"Oh, come on Y/N," you hear his disappointed complaint in the distance and he starts trotting towards you.
You can't help but feel annoyed too, but before you can take a step, he gets there first.
"Would you stop stalking me, please?" you demand as you start to walk away.
"Please, just let me talk to you for a second," he pleads, stopping you gently but firmly.
"There's nothing even to talk about," you tell him earnestly and disinterestedly at the same time, trying to fend him off and move forward.
He again blocks your path.
"Please," he repeats, "I just want to apologize for the other day."
"We both know that's not what you really came here to say."
He lets out a long sigh as he looks away from you for a moment, then returns to watching you intently and with some concern.
And you wonder what he's doing here. He's wearing his lacrosse uniform so shouldn't he be training with his team or something?
"Look, I understand that you're upset....
He starts to say and you understand at that moment that he has no intention of going anywhere until he has finished talking to you.
"... but I need you to know that I'm really sorry I said those words to you. It wasn't what I really meant, it was cruel and I didn't realize it at the time."
You let out a long breath as you look away and press your lips together.
"It's okay, I understand," you look at him, "And I forgive you, if that's what you need to hear, fine, I forgave you. Now it's all forgotten and we can call it even."
Again, you try to dodge him to get away, but he steps in your way again, blocking your path.
"Wait," he asks, "Just wait," he repeats to you in his insistent voice, full of longing and concern evident on his face. "Can we talk, please?"
You shake your head as you bite the inside of your cheek, feeling your frustration mounting.
"I already told you I won't do it, Aemond."
"Have you at least considered it?" his tone becomes expectant and frustrated.
"Yes and it's an idea that makes no sense," you reply absurdly, interrupting him. "Or well, maybe to you it does, but-
"So that's it?" he interrupts you immediately, his gaze fixed on yours, "Do you want to benefit from this too if we do?"
You immediately shake your head in his direction, trying to deny any hint of that.
"No, that wasn't what-
"What do you want in return?" he interrupts again, his expression completely willing and attentive. "Tell me what it is you want to agree to pretend to be in a relationship with me."
Seven Hells.
You think as a frustrated sigh escapes your lips.
You feel trapped in an emotional interrogation, struggling to find the right words as you desperately search for a way out. His direct and persistent questions leave you blank for a moment.
"Listen, I can't and don't have time to help you with something like that."
He sighs, looking away from you for a moment.
"Okay," he says, moving to take a seat on the other side of the table you were sitting at earlier, "I'm listening," he watches you carefully.
You frown at his change in attitude.
"You hear me?" you repeat, confused.
"Yes, I hear you," he replies, looking at you expectantly, "Tell me why you can't and why you don't have the time."
"Don't you have training or something?"
"Yes, but it doesn't matter."
"You'll get into tro-
"It doesn't matter," he interrupts you, keeping his seriousness and attention, "So tell me, I'm listening."
He lets out an incredulous, absurd laugh.
"I don't have to explain myself with yo-
"The point here is that I don't believe you," he lets you know with determination, interrupting you again, "And if you don't tell me why, I'll keep insisting and bothering you until you tell me yes," he says with a slightly amused but determined look on his face.
You look at him slightly confused and surprised, not understanding what is wrong with him, also feeling a mixture of annoyance inside you and curiosity for his persistence.
"It doesn't matter, I'll still keep telling you no," you affirm as a final word to start walking away from him.
However, as soon as you advance a few steps, you feel how someone snatches the folder you are carrying with you quickly and abruptly, which stops you in your tracks. And you turn to him in surprise and confusion.
"Hey!" you protest, puzzled by his action.
"Uh, what do we have here?" he comments with a mischievous grin and a look full of amusement, getting up to turn away from you as he flips through the papers.
"That's none of your business!" you reproach him, running up to him and trying to retrieve your folder.
"Citadel University," he mentions with a tone of interest, running away from your attempts to catch up with him.
"Aemond!" you call, demanding that he give you back what is yours. But he continues to back away and read the sheets at the same time.
"Uh," he comments in concentration as he reads something specific, "This really is bad news."
"That's enough!" you yell at him, completely annoyed and frustrated, finally managing to snatch the folder from his hands and slam it shut.
The tension between the two of you increases as you hold the folder tightly and definitely start to pull away from him.
"No, no, okay, I'm sorry," he stops you instantly, grabbing your arm and stepping in front of you, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-
"Sure, you never meant to," you tell him half-heartedly, trying to dodge him but he won't let you.
"Okay, fine, I was an idiot, I know. But-hey, listen please....
"Are you going to leave me alone or not?" you inquire annoyed, releasing yourself from his grip, watching him expectantly.
He lets out a sigh.
"Y/N-
"I don't have time for this. I have to go."
"But-wait!" he urges you, also on the verge of tears from frustration as you dodge him but he again steps back in front of you, stopping you, "Could you just-listen to me, please."
"No."
"Please!" he insists, "Y/N, I-I... fuck," he lets out a sigh, looking away from yours for a moment, "I'm really sorry," he tells you sincerely, "But let me talk to you. You won't have to do anything but listen to me," he implores, "And after this, if you still want me to stop bothering you and leave you alone, I will."
You watch him completely intently, assessing his words and noting the desperation reflected in his gaze. And even though your mind tells you to forget him and get away from him and this whole situation, something inside you makes you hesitate.
You let out a long, deep breath, telling yourself that you just have to give him a chance to talk and you can finally walk away without feeling remorse.
"Okay, but make it quick," you agree reservedly, keeping your distance.
And even though you're still firm about continuing to tell him no and feel annoyed about earlier, you're curious what he has to say.
"Hum... do you want to sit?"
He points to the table you were sitting at earlier with an awkward and strange gesture. You're about to tell him no but not wanting to argue again, so this will end quickly, you resignedly take a seat and he instantly follows you.
He takes a seat in front of you and you continue with all your belongings in your lap, not trusting to leave them on the table within his reach because of earlier, feeling a knot in your stomach and a slight ache in your chest as you briefly glance at the folder he was snooping through earlier.
"I won't take up too much of your time, I just want to get back to what we were talking about earlier," he tells you softly and with some caution, taking a moment before speaking again, "You want something in return for agreeing to fake the relationship with me?"
You let out a long sigh.
"No, I don't want anything, Aemond. There is nothing I want that you can give me in return," you clarify in a firm tone, "I don't even have the time to do that. I have other important things to take care of instead of.... that."
He exhales, starting to look just as frustrated as you do.
"Like what?" he dares to ask.
"None of your business," you reply immediately.
He looks away from your gaze for a moment, feeling more frustration, swallowing hard and looking hesitant for a moment, but still determined, not wanting this conversation to end before he can try.
"It has to do with the Citadel thing?"
The mention of the college you fought so hard to gain access to makes you feel that sharp pain in your chest again, making your heart flip.
Sadness, disappointment, all those emotions come flooding back just like the first time you read that rejection letter from the college. All your effort, all your performance, was simply not enough for the university to recognize.
The college of your dreams.
"I told you that's none of your business," you act instantly serious and defensive.
"I don't mean to intrude, Y/N-
"That's exactly what you're doing," you point out incredulously.
"You applied for a scholarship and didn't get it, didn't you?" yet you still dare to say, taking a risk, "That's what I read."
"And you shouldn't have," you say firmly, trying to hide the sadness and disappointment his words have triggered in you, "You have no right to go through my personal business."
"I know and I'm sorry, but-
He begins to try to say, but you interrupt him, determined to end the conversation.
"That's what you were going to say?" you tell him, starting to get up with all your things to leave, "If that's all, I'll just go-
"You haven't really let me talk," he interrupts you, insistent, "I can offer you something in return and worth considering to get you to accept the fake relationship with me. But only if you stay and listen to me-
"Oh please, Aemond," you interrupt him in disbelief, sensing the absurdity of the situation, "You know what? Okay, let me hear it," you say with sarcasm in your tone and an expectant look, "Tell me what you could offer me in return that would be worth considering," you add wryly.
"I can help you with your college application," Aemond hastens to say.
Surprise invades everything inside you, listening attentively to his unexpected proposal, definitely not expecting to hear that.
You remain completely silent, just watching him intently, while he gives you a firm and sincere look back. You have no idea what to say, feeling how suddenly your heart starts beating too hard.
"I have connections there, my grandfather and my sister," he lets you know, "I can send them all your information, personal recommendations, all your academic history and have them give you a place with the scholarship you wanted," he tells you and the surprise grows more inside you, "Graduation is near, I can facilitate the whole process for you and I am willing to do it if you help me."
Again, you say nothing.
But the surprise is more than evident on your face.
Their offer, this, really is too much, to the point that your mind starts to be a whirlwind of emotions and you begin to feel distrust, uncertainty and inner conflict.
But on the one hand, his offer is tempting. The idea of getting help from him to get a place in the college you so long for definitely catches your attention, but it also makes you feel a little uncomfortable.
Honestly his words stir something in you, but caution prevails.
The desire to get a place in that university is basically a dream come true, but it clashes with your principles and at the same time you think ahead with lingering doubt whether not accepting was a grave mistake.
Although... are you really able to say no to this? Your dream? To the university that will give you the opportunity to offer a better quality of life for you and your father?
Certainly, Aemond's words are not something you would have believed from anyone else. You would have laughed too hard at the big lie since it is basically impossible to get a place at a high-demand university like Citadel.
But you admit that Aemond Targaryen is not just any person.
Everyone knows that his father owns the most important company in the whole country. And his mother's surname is linked to and owns the influential Hightower banks. The combination of both surnames carries with it a network of influential contacts and connections, so you believe him.
The reality is undeniable; Aemond is exaggeratedly rich, his whole family is, so knowing all this basically gives you to understand that he can undoubtedly secure a place at Citadel University for himself and, apparently, for you as well.
But the hesitation you still feel stops you, still thinking carefully about his proposal.
"So what you want in return is just that?" you ask him wanting to be all clear, "To agree to pretend a relationship with you?"
Your voice reveals a hint of disbelief as you stare at Aemond, waiting for a more detailed explanation. The idea that this all revolves around a farce of a relationship never ceases to generate confusion in you.
The simplicity of his request sounds almost surreal, and makes you question his true intentions.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but yes, that's all I'm asking, Y/N," he replies without hesitation, his tone serious and direct.
His intense blue eye remains fixed on yours, as you give yourself a small second simply out of curiosity to appreciate his prosthetic left eye up close, an accident as a child or something you heard.
But your mind returns to his request immediately, still feeling the mixture of uncertainty and curiosity. An awkward pause settles between the two of you as you finally break the silence with a doubt-laden sigh.
"But, why me?" you can't help but ask, "I mean, why offer this to me, something really important and big to agree to help you," you explain your point, "I know you said that with me it will be easier but.... there are other girls who could help you with this, or not?"
Aemond adjusts slightly in his seat, sighing as he searches for the right words.
"I misspoke about you at first. It wasn't what I really meant about no one noticing you, you're invisible and all that shit, because it's not true," he tells you softly, "You are different and definitely calmer than other girls who I know will tell me yes without hesitation, but I'm not looking for that, I need someone genuine, someone I can trust to make this work and someone who won't get too excited."
His answer seems sincere, you know he really is sincere, but you still feel the knot in your stomach.
Accepting to help him would mean immersing yourself in a world that you never had any interest in fitting into and that most of the time you've been trying to keep your distance from.
You don't care about having a lot of friends, having followers on social media, being popular, being the prettiest and getting attention from guys. You also wouldn't want to be looked at and given too much attention just for dating Aemond Targaryen, if you accept.
But would you really be proud enough not to accept so you wouldn't have to do all that, letting go of the chance to get into Citadel University?
A shiver runs down your spine as you consider the implications of accepting his proposal and after a brief pause, you let out a sigh and finally nod your head as you swallow hard to speak nervously and with determination.
"All right. Let's do it."
The surprise and disbelief is completely reflected in Aemond's gaze to then quickly rise from his seat and take a couple of steps towards you, completely delusional.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes but don't make me regret it."
And then his whole face transforms, with relief reflecting in his gaze and... strangely, letting go of that worry that has invaded him for days now, also stress along with frustration and a weight on his shoulders.
"Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciated it. And this will be over sooner than you think, I promise."
A wave of uncertainty washes over you as you wonder if you have made the right decision. He seems satisfied with your answer, but deep down a trace of doubt clings in your mind along with the echo of consequences that resonates eerily.
You wonder how others are going to view you seeing you very soon at Aemond's side and whether it will drastically change your school life, which is irrelevant, but in their world, absolutely everything matters.
"So, what's next?" you ask, really unable to believe you've agreed.
Aemond straightens up completely, watching you attentively and with that readiness in his gaze, there is also a certainty that you do not possess, as you actually feel very small before the whole show you will put on together with him and it hasn't even started.
"First of all, a contract."
#aemond targaryen#aemond fanfiction#aemond targaryen fanfic#hotd aemond#aemond x reader#aemond targaryen x reader#aemond targaryen x y/n#aemond targaryen x you#aemond x fem!reader#aemond x oc#aemond one eye#aemond x y/n#modern aemond#modern au
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Thnks Fr Th Mmrs/Official Goodbye Post
Well this was clearly going to happen eventually after retirement but I think it's for the best that I finally step away from this blog.
First things first, I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout the years. I started this blog in the middle of 2020 and all of you who supported me helped me get through some tough times, including the death of a family member. For a while, this blog was tons of fun. Ideas and words were flowing onto pages and the creative spark was immensely satisfying. Seeing people enjoy my own niche but vanilla works helped me feel good about my writing.
Like I said, this blog was a lot of fun. Until it wasn't. The pressure to perform, the idea that each piece had to be better than the one before it, even if nobody expected that. The growing "meta" of the community with certain idols becoming "mainstream". While I never tried to focus too much on notes, it did quickly get demoralizing to see pieces I poured countless hours of work into get less notes than some random pieces just because the idol I chose was less popular. It wasn't even really about the notes, it was about wanting to feel like the work I put in was acknowledged. Even though I shouldn't have let it affect me, as someone who always struggled with acknowledgement of others, it was tough on me. Eventually it felt like more and more of a chore to write because why bother if I'm not going to be acknowledged for my effort anyway?
This combined with drama from other writers (since this is goodbye post I don't feel bad about airing the dirty laundry, Peach you're still a bitch whose fragile ego couldn't take the same trash talk you dished to countless other people) and the community shifting to younger and younger idols to the point that I felt massively uncomfortable just communicating with some of the other writers in this circle of the internet, killed the spark I had for this hobby.
So I decided to retire. I flirted with a comeback every once in awhile, tried to finish at least a few of the multitude of partial drafts I had started to varying degrees over the years. But despite all of these efforts, I found that my love for this community truly died. But I still held onto to whatever vague attachments I had to this blog and tried to transform it into a random space to geek about my various hobbies since this was the biggest platform I've ever achieved while also messaging the few writers I still talked to. But as more and more of those writers also disappeared, it's time for me to accept that it's time to say goodbye.
Over the past few months I've been taking big steps to get my life into a place I want it to be and I think a big part of that now also involves laying this blog to rest. It's not fair to you guys who are still here expecting some type of possible comeback, and it's not fair to me to hold onto these feelings that at this point can only be reduced to nostalgia. While my catalog might not be as long or extensive as some of the other writers in the community, I'm still pretty proud of the work I put out for the most part.
If by any chance anyone still even reads any of my works, don't worry. The blog itself isn't going anywhere, I'm not deleting it. It'll stay here for a good long time. It just won't be a place I visit anymore.
Even though most of the following people are now gone, I want to take this time to thank some of the most influential people behind my time on this blog.
First, huge thanks once again to the amazing @lockefanfic and @sinsatmidnight. I've said it a million times but you two were the whole reason I started writing in the first place. You helped me onto this amazing journey and I'll always appreciate you for it.
@ggidolsmuts, @cataboliac, @themanthemyththeverite, you guys were some of my best friends in this community and I appreciate everything you all did for me. I love you guys.
A special shoutout to @kingmaker-a, you were my biggest fan and you were a huge reason why I kept going for a while. My last couple of pieces are definitely out because of your support.
A giant thank you to the 9,500ish who were here over the years. While I never quite got to 10k followers or hit 1k notes, the fact that there's still so many of you here never ceased to amaze me, especially since I never expected to get 100 followers, let alone almost 100 times that. Truly amazing and you all hold a special place in my heart.
And finally, to quote a manga I enjoy, "if you liked my work I'm happy, and if you didn't, I'm sorry but I can't do shit about that."
I'll stay on for a little bit to answer any potential farewell asks but I don't know how long that will last.
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs and keep on rocking!
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hey,i LOVE your work! Can i request a Lute (hazbin hotel) x gn!reader who is Adam's sibling and how she's slowly falling for reader. It's okay if u don't wanna do it,but incase u do please tag me ♡
AN: Sooooo, I messed this request up. I wrote the headcanons in my google doc and finished them in one sitting so i didn't exactly cross reference the ask, and I wrote general relationship hc for lute x reader who's adam's sibling. Don't worry though, I'm not gonna let this fumble go to waste, I'll go ahead and post a full set of HC now and a Drabble that I’m working on for it at a later date.
Character: Lute
Type: Headcanons (Lute x reader who is Adam’s sibling, Fluff)
When Lute initially met you, she didn’t exactly know that you and Adam were siblings. You had come along to the exorcist training grounds for some reason or another dealing with Adam, and Lute had initially thought you were lost. It's not until the first man makes an appearance that she connects the dots. Up until that point, she didn’t even know he had a sibling
She’s surprised at how different you are from Adam. Where the first man was crass, you… let's face it, even if you have a higher level of maturity than your brother, you’re still his sibling. Do with that as you will.
After the initial meeting, the two of you saw each other more and more often. It really didn’t take long for the two of you to get closer, and eventually get together.
Of course, Adam finding out about the two of you is inevitable. How long it took for him to figure it out though is kind of up in the air. He can teeter between pretty dense to super observant. Or the two of you could even beat him to the punch and tell him yourselves. After the initial shock he wouldn’t really care, though after you leave, he pulls Lute to the side and super casually threatens her, ‘ya know blah blah blah hurt them and you’re out of the band’
The other exorcists are sure to talk, too. The most popular rumor amongst them had been that Lute was merely with you to gain favor with Adam. Another was that Lute had simply gotten tired of a (non-existent)romance with Adam and moved on to his sibling. Both Adam and Lute were quick to put a stop to that one.
With you having been around since the beginning of humanity like Adam, she finds it easier to ask about the garden, Adam is a little more bitter about it and won't go into details as a result, and when he does, it’s usually about events that centered around him. From you, she would get to learn about events that texts never went into. Though in reality, it was partially a ruse for her to be able to listen to you speak so fondly of your time on earth.
Assuming you’re just as strong of an angel as Adam is, you’ll be a constant sparring partner for the lieutenant. None of the other exorcists are a match for her ruthlessness in battle, but you had the power to keep up. You could present a challenge and by god did that give Lute a thrill she hadn’t realized she needed.
#hazbin hotel#hazbin imagine#hazbin headcanons#hazbin hotel x reader#lute x reader#hazbin hotel lute#hazbin lute#adam hazbin hotel
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A Night Of Fun//
Choi Seungcheolx Kim Mingyux afab!Black!Reader
Summary: It's a nice spring Friday night and your co-workers invite you to go out. You've never been out to the club since you moved to South Korea a few months ago. What happens when you end up going to one of Seoul's popular nightclubs?
Word Count: 3,479
It was a Friday night, My Co-workers were planning to go out tonight and I was finishing up the last of my paperwork. Until one of them called my name, making me look up from the computer.
“Y/n you never came out with us before!” My coworker Areum said. I looked up at them and then back at the screen before me.
“Uh, I’m not a club person, well not anymore,” I said, finishing up the last bit of paperwork and signing off.
“Oh c’mon Y/n, please just come out with us this one time,” Areum said pouting. I sighed, grabbing my things and standing up. We’ve all hung out outside of work, sometimes we had girls’ nights or dinners, but I never actually went to a club with them
“Do they accept foreigners? Because some clubs- assuming that you want to go to a club. Not every club will let me in,” Everyone stopped to think.
“What do you mean?” our other co-worker asked. I sighed. Then raised my arm showing them my skin. Showing off my brown skin.
“Guys I'm a foreigner. Some places don't accept foreigners…”
“The club we go to does. We’ve seen tons of foreigners there before. Promise, now you go home and get yourself ready. I'll text you the address and the time we’ll be there. Okay?” Areum said, making a pouty face. I smiled softly
“Fine! I’ll go” they all cheered and with that, I went home and got ready. Once I got home I took a shower, dried off, rubbed cocoa butter on my skin, and did my makeup, standing in a towel in my closet trying to figure out what to wear. What will be club-appropriate? Still standing in my closet my phone went off. I answered FaceTime seeing it was Arerum.
“Y/n! Did you get my text? You never responded so I got worried.” I looked at my KakaoTalk seeing her messages.
“Yeah, I’m sorry I was trying to figure out what to wear tonight so I’m standing in my closet and my phone is on my bed,” I explained, my eyes landing on my red corset top and a black faux leather mini skirt.
“Oh, do you need help?” She asked. I glanced over at my shoes. Spotting my thigh-high denim heels.
“Nope, I just found my outfit,” I said before hanging up. Once I had dressed and checked my outfit in the mirror, I plugged in my curling wand and curled my hair. Taking a glance at the time, I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door. I took a cab and made my way to the club. I paid the cabbie, stepped out of the cab immediately, and saw Arerum and the rest of our co-workers. Nari, Mona, and Bonnie. I walked up to them and put my phone in my purse. I accidentally bumped into someone. The person immediately reached out, grabbing my arm and stabilizing my balance.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I said, looking at the person. He had a hat on, covering his face which confused me, but his smile was pretty.
“Are you okay?” He asked his voice soft, but deep. I nodded and he let go of my arm and I stepped to the side to let him walk by, but he just looked at me.
“Sorry again”
“It’s fine”
He looked like he was gonna say something else until someone walked over to speak to him. He looked at me up and down tongue running over his bottom lip
“Hopefully I see you in there” Then walked away. I walked over to Areum and everyone gasped
“Y/N! You look so good” I smiled, giving them a spin and saying thank you. We all walked to the door and the bouncer took a look at us, then stared at me.
“You.” He said
“Yes?” I responded, getting myself prepared for him saying that foreigners aren’t welcome, but he asked for my ID which I gave with my passport. He nodded and let me in along with everyone else.
I felt someone’s eyes on me. I looked across the room, eyes connecting. I couldn’t look away. He had this dominating air to him. So instead of breaking eye contact, I shrugged my jacket off. Someone stood next to him following his line of vision, then smiled once his eyes landed on me. I tilted my head realizing it was the same man that I bumped into. They start sending goosebumps up my body, Our eyes never leave each other. Bonnie leaned over close enough for me to hear her.
“Do you know who they are?” I shook my head. Not going to lie they do look familiar, but my brain isn’t braining at the very moment. She chuckled and then said
“This club is kinda popular with Idols so if you take a picture make sure it’s just you in the picture. If an idol is in the picture and you post it. They will sue” I nodded still staring across the room when she left to dance with Areum. I looked at his right eye, then his left, and lastly his lips, biting my lip in the process and then slightly smirking, which made them both close their eyes and groan. When they looked back at me I raised my eyebrow turning to Nari who handed me a shot, which I graciously took and she handed me a glass.
“You seemed like a vodka girl so I got you a vodka Sprite” I smiled at her while taking a sip.
“So did you go to clubs in America?”
“Sometimes. Whenever I wanted to feel free”
"I understand that. Sometimes life sucks and some alcohol and music, maybe a hook up will always make you stress-free '' We made a toast and watched the girls dance until ‘Streets’ by Doja Cat came on. I grabbed her hand making sure I kept my purse on my person and my glass in one hand, dragging her to the dance floor and going to Areum and Bonnie. Moving my hips to the beat singing along. I turned around my back against Areums, drinking the rest of my drink. When the song changed to ‘Water’ by Tyla. The girls tapped my shoulder asking me to dance a week ago. I tried to teach them. I laughed and nodded waiting for the chorus and when I came I handed one of them, my glass and fixed my hair. When I started whining my hips at the pre-chorus they all smiled. The chorus started and I did the dance and Bonnie’s eyes widened. After I finished, Nari gestured behind me. I turned around and saw my staring contest friend.
We didn’t say anything to each other. I stepped closer to him and motioned for him to lean down his tongue running over his lower lip.
“Did you want to stand there and watch or dance with me?” I pulled back about to take a step back but his hands darted to my hips preventing me from moving.
“Princess, I’ll gladly watch if you keep moving like that…” When he leaned down I realized who I was flirting with, Choi Seungcheol. The DJ started playing some songs from the 2000s and 2010s and I smiled when Buttons, by Pussycat Dolls, came on. I bit my lip from smirking and turned around grinding to the beat against him. Taking one of his hands in mine guiding it to my thigh and up my body.
“Fuck” He whispers following my hips. His other hand made its way to my arm to wrap it around him. He turned us around to face the direction he came from. Thong Song by Sisqo came on his hands and grabbed my hips. He was guiding them to the beat groaning when I pressed into him harder.
“You know he’s watching right?” He said in my ear I looked over my shoulder at him confused until he took his hand gently taking my face and helping me find who was watching us. Finally, our eyes met. I smiled at him. Finally, get a good look at the guy who helped me outside earlier. Of course, it’s Kim Mingyu. The song transitioned to Bootylicious I turned in Seungcheol’s arm his leg between mine making sure to give Mingyu a show. Mouthing the words of the song. The song transitioned again and Promiscuous came on. I felt another set of hands on me.
Dancing along to the song. Glancing over my shoulder and seeing the 6'2 man behind me. Their touch was different from each other.
"Took you long enough," Seungcheol said to him. Mingyu didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on my hips pulling me closer and ignoring Seungcheol.
"Babygirl, If you look this good in this outfit, how good do you look with it off?" He said.
"Oh, Mingyu, we can find that out very soon.."
The song stopped and Mingyu grabbed my hand pulling me to their section. He sat down first then sat me down on his lap.
"What's your name, Princess?" Seungcheol asked sitting down next to us, his hand on my thigh
"Y/N," I said breathlessly as his hand caressed my inner thigh
"Mingyu"
"Seungchan-"
"I know who you are. I realized who you were when you leaned down and I was able to see your faces clearly" I said nervously. Mingyu chuckled. Kissing my shoulder up to my neck as Cheol's hands got higher.
"Really and you didn't freak out?"
"Maybe because she doesn't care about who we are hyung.."
Did I care? Not really, I mean they're just as human as I am. So why should I? Maybe because they have a fan base that might try to kill me if this ever gets out. Okay maybe I shouldn't have thought of THAT
"Do you care, Princess?"
"Not really," I said. He smiled. Looking down at my lips
“Good,” He said, then kissed me. Mingyu kissed up and down my neck, and everything else around us faded away. Cheol’s kiss was rough but slow. We fought for control. His fingers found their way between my legs, his finger running over my underwear making me gasp. I bit his lip, making him groan. I started to grind down on Mingyu.
“Oh shit..” He whispered. Pulling away from Seungcheol and turning to Mingyu kissing him.
“Such a good girl for us aren’t you?”Seungcheoll said, fingers rubbing me through my underwear. I pulled away softly moaning
“I’ll show you just how good I can be,” I said. I’m assuming that what I said was the last straw for both of them because Seungcheol stood up and snatched me away from Mingyu who stood up.
“Where’s your friend Princess?” Seungcheol said I pointed in their direction. He exchanged a look with Mingyu. I walked over to the girls grabbing my coat. They all smiled at me Bonnie said
“Be safe and text us in the morning, yeah?” I nodded, hugged them, and turned around to the two men who decided to take me home. With Mingyu guiding me out and SeungCheol behind me we got outside pretty quickly and got into a car just as quickly. We all piled into the SUV, me in the middle, Mingyu on my right, and Seungcheol on my left. Once the door was closed and the vehicle started moving they placed their hand on my thighs. My breath hitched and my legs slightly opened.
“Such a good fucking girl” I whimper at the phrase. Which made them chuckle. Cheol moved my underwear to the side and Mingyu immediately slid his fingers through my lips. Making me open my legs wider
“So responsive, aren’t you babygirl” Mingyu whispered lips on my neck, fingers circling my clit. I turned my head towards Seungcheol. My hand reached for his pants trying to undo the button. His big hand grabbed my wrist.
“Did I say you can touch me?” His voice was deeper than before his eyes darkened in lust. I shook my head.
“No, I’m sorry Collie,” I said, biting my lip to keep from moaning when Mingyu slid a finger at me.
“So fucking wet,” Mingyu said loud enough for me and Seungcheol.
“Add another finger Gyu,” He told him. Mingyu didn’t waste any time and did as told. I gasped out. Seungcheol took my face in his hand, forcing me to look down at Mingyu, thrusting his fingers in and out of me.
“Does it feel good princess?”
“So fucking good. Can I have one more please…” I said whimpering. The vehicle came to a stop which made them pull away from me. I whined which made Seungcheol lighting spank my clit
“Fuck” I said clenching around nothing and looking at him pleading that they fuck me right where we are.
“Good girls don’t whine and throw tantrums princess” was all he said helping me collect myself. Mingyu got out first. Then it was me, holding his hand out to help me. Everything felt like it sped up after we got out of the car. Once we reached the apartment Mingyu bent down patting the back of my thighs signaling for me to jump. I hesitated. I’m not exactly on the skinny side. I got some meat on my bones, yes I am confident, I know I look good, but I also know that I’m not on the light side at all. Noticing my hesitation he said
“It’s okay baby girl jump” I did as told wrapping my legs around him. His hands rested on my ass squeezing and lightly spanking which made me moan. I leaned forward kissing him. Mingyu's kiss was soft and sensual. He started walking and stopped kicking a door closed and laid me down on a bed. I looked around. Mingyu grabbed my legs, took my heels off, and started kissing my thighs.
“Mingyu..” I whined when he kissed over my undies.
Mingyu looked up and smiled "Shhh," he said,
I looked over at Seungcheol who was just watching. I beckoned him over. He walked over kneeling on the bed kissing me. Undoing the tie in my corset. Mingyu finally hooked his fingers onto my underwear, taking them off and tossing them wherever. His lips immediately went to my clit. I gasped against Seungcheol’s lips, my hand grabbing Mingyu’s hair and grinding against his face. He sucked at my clit, then pulled away to slide his fingers into me. I moaned louder, arching my back as Mingyu's fingers moved in and out of me. His fingers curled reaching my g-spot Seungcheol's lips attached to my nipple, his hand giving the other attendant pinching and pulling at it. My nipples were sensitive, and I’m pretty sure that when I woke up tomorrow I’d be covered in marks. As Mingyu's fingers drove me wild. I felt my orgasm building up, my breathing becoming more ragged.
Mingyu's lips reattached themselves to my clit. I gasped as I felt my climax approaching, my body trembling with pleasure.
“It’s okay princess, you’ve been so good for us. Let us see how pretty you look when you cum.” Seungcheol said. Mingyu didn’t stop, he kept going. I felt myself trembling and shaking with pleasure as Mingyu's fingers continued to move. I felt a warmth spread through my body as I felt myself relax into a pool of pleasure. I gasped as I felt myself come, my body completely overwhelmed by the sensation. When Mingyu pulled away he looked at me licking his lips. He brought his fingers to my lips and I opened my mouth tasting myself.
“Oh shit..” He said. I looked at the two men in front of me. Then looked down at the bulge in their pants. I started to move when Seungcheol stopped me. His thumb ran over my lip.
“I wanna feel these pretty lips around me, Is that okay Princess?” he moved up the bed taking his clothes off. I couldn’t help but stare. His shirt didn’t do his muscles any justice. I smiled.
“Please..” I said taking the rest of my clothes off. Leaning forward kissing the tip of his dick.
“Please what, Princess? What do you want from us” He said teasingly I looked back at Mingyu who was stroking himself off.
“Fuck me please Gyu,” I said on all fours. I slid my hand down my body fucking myself with my fingers. Mingyu eyes locked on my fingers. He moved closer moving my hand. Teasing me with his dick sliding between my lips.
“Say pretty, pretty,” He said giving me his tip. I whined.
“Don’t be mean Daddy,” They both groaned. Seungcheol grabbed my hair. Pulling it to make me face him.
“Say it again”
“Fuck me, Daddy,” Mingyu thrusted into me stopping for a moment allowing me to get used to him. I moaned out fucking myself on him. He groaned
“That’s right baby fuck yourself on my dick” He groaned out
“What about me, Princess? Forgot about me?” Seungcheol said faking a pout. I shook my head.
“No, I’m sorry Daddy” Leaning forward spitting in my hand to jerk him off, then taking him in my mouth. His hips jerked, dick hitting the back of my mouth. I deep-throated him.
“Fuuuuck, can I fuck your mouth, Princess?” He asked his hands in my hair. I nodded and he started to fuck my mouth. He and Mingyu had a rhythm when Mingyu pulled out, He pushed in. The pleasure was too much. Especially when Mingyu started to pick up speed. Repeatedly kept hitting my G-spot making me clench around him.
“Fuck, love the way you feel when you clench around me babygirl” Mingyu moaned
“I’m gonna cum princess. Do you want it in your mouth hmm?” Seungcheol said I moaned
Seuncheol breath hitched as his thrust started to get sloppy. He groaned and hissed his hold on my hair tightened. His hips stalled making me deep-throat his big dick cumming down my throat.
“Oh shit, Princess. You’re so good. Now be a good girl and cum on Mingyu's dick so I can fuck you” He said when he pulled away. Moved so his hand touched my clit rubbing it in tight circles
“Oh, my fuck-please don’t stop.” my legs started shaking. They both stopped i whined
“Please, please fuck me,” I said they both laughed,
“Don’t worry baby we got you” Seungcheol pulled me up and sat on the bed sitting me on his lap holding my legs open. I grabbed his dick sliding it in me. Then looking at Mingyu.
“I-I need you both please” Mingyu looked surprised.
“You want us both in you at the same time Princess?” Seungcheol said I nodded.
“You sure?” The both said at the same time
“Please, I can take it. Please.”
Mingyu looked at Seungcheol who then nodded
“Take it slowly Mingyu-ah” he nodded listening to his older friend.
“Take a deep breath” was all he said then slid into me. I moaned feeling the stretch. We were still. They waited for me to say something.
“Move please,” They both started to move. Mingyu out, Seungsheol in. They both felt so good. Hitting my g-spot
“Fuck princess, you like that?’ I gasped when they slightly started to pick up the pace.
“Yes. I love the way you feel in me. Please don’t stop Daddy” I said clenching. My hands playing with my nipples. I’m so close. I just need something to push me over the edge. I slid my hand down to my clit rubbing it.
“Fuck I’m gonna cum” Said Mingyu
“Me too”
“I’m so close.”
They both sped up a little bit, thrust getting quick and sloppy. My body felt light and my legs started to shake. I leaned my head back on Cheol’s shoulder.
“That’s it, princess, cum for us let go” He whispered kissing and biting my shoulder. That was all I needed. When I came they both groaned. My eyes were closed and I couldn’t hear anything else but white noise. Mingyu was next then Cheol. They pulled out and laid me down they walked out of the room. Mingyu came back with a cup of water and Cheol came back with a warm towel cleaning me up and whispering.
“Come back to us, Princess”
I smiled and looked at both of them, my body relaxed. Mingyu handed me the water I drank it all and rested my head on the pillow
“Are you okay?” Mingyu asked,
“Better if you guys come cuddle.” They both laughed and laid next to me. Seungcheol spooned me and Mingyu allowed me to rest on his chest. Neither of us said anything, just the sound of us breathing sounded the room and that is how I went to sleep.
#seventeen mingyu#seventeen scoups#seventeen seungcheol#seventeen smut#seventeen imagines#kpop smut#mingyu smut#scoups smut
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Madame Neuvillette: Part One
Decadent Collision
Suggestive themes ahead, no outright nsfw just yet.
3.6k words, not very proofread.
December 17th, XX74
"And are you sure you have everything you need, my love?" Tender, gloved hands smoothed over your winter coat as cargo loaders walked around you, hauling your belongings into one of the train carts. Workers and passengers hustled around you and your husband, the sounds of train horns and shouts from announcing conductors relegated to nothing but background noise amidst the both of you.
The man in front of you, tall and handsome, looked at you with such tender eyes- a loving gaze that filled you with such warmth that not even the winter storm around you could get through your skin. Though the fur coat helped as well, you supposed.
You smiled up at your husband, taking his hands into yours and brushing your fingers against his knuckles. "No need to worry, I'm all set. Besides, it'd be quite a waste for you to go back to the manor when you went out of your way to see me off."
"I just wanted to make sure, mon ange." Neuvillette took your hand and raised it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss over your leather-clad fingers, "I do not wish my wife any discomfort on this trip." His tone, while stoic in the way it always was, was much softer with you. Rarely did you hear him raise his tone at you, no matter what may be on his mind.
Monsieur Neuvillette was perhaps the greatest husband in all of Fontaine. Well-respected he was, as the country's Chief Justice, and he possessed wealth comparable to that of the Imperial Family. Popular among both the common folk and high society, it was no surprise that he was quite the catch in spite of his older age. But that meant nothing to you, since the man you fell in love with was not the one that the public saw, but rather it was the man that stood before you; fixing your coat and never managing to take his lovestruck gaze off your face.
Many whispered among themselves that the wife the Iudex had taken was much too young for him, and how much of a shame it was that such a young woman was tied down by a man nearly twelve years her senior. But those were just whispers, were they not? Whispers that meant nothing when your lips connected with his own soft ones, feeling yourself smile in content when his gentle hands found their way to your waist.
The ringing of a bell and the raucous shouting of the conductor caused you to pull away, looking over to the source of the noise, "Train en route to the Court of Fontaine set to leave in fifteen minutes! All passengers aboard!"
"My, it seems time does pass by faster when with you dear." Giving him one last peck on his cheek, you start to gather your thick skirts in your hand, preparing to walk towards the train door. "I'll be off then. Tell Sigewinne that I'll be back before she knows it, and that I love her very much." At the mention of your daughter, Neuvillette's expression broke out into a grin.
"Why of course. Though, she may ask for something in return for inconveniencing her." With a chuckle he followed your hurried steps, hands lingering after her presence as his eyes scanned your surroundings before giving you a final smile. Albeit, a somewhat sad one.
"I shall miss you terribly, mon ange. Send Ajax my regards." Cheekily, you blew him a kiss, relishing in the pink hue that spread across his sharp features. Entering the train, you sit yourself on one of the comfortable seats, settling yourself before waving at your husband through the frosted window.
Before long, the rest of the passengers began to fill the train compartment, taking their seats and settling amongst themselves as they begin to put away their belongings. In a matter of moments, the final whistle of the train permeated the air as the vehicle finally moved, the silhouette of your husband slowly getting smaller and smaller, though his smile certainly didn't.
The reason for your trip to the capital were simple enough. Your brother, the pleasure-loving baron Ajax had gotten himself into trouble with his wife; an affair between him and their children's governess was unveiled and, well, you really can't blame the baroness for nearly trying to kill him. However, in a panic the poor man had sent you a letter urgently telling you to come to their lavish home in the capital city to mitigate their lover's quarrel, and a part of you thinks it's likely because if it weren't for the children he'd be dead by now.
So here you were, on the earliest train to the Court of Fontaine, a place that you had vague memory of. Once you married Neuvillette, he found it fitting to settle and start a family away from the scandal and glamour of the capital, moving your household to the Marcotte region of Fontaine. In a way, you were glad; Sigewinne has never failed to mention how much she preferred your current life as opposed to the "paranoia-inducing" society of the capital. You thought yourself sharing the same opinion as well, loving the peaceful atmosphere of the rural city.
You were promptly snapped out of your thoughts when someone's voice reaches your ears. Snapping your head towards the direction of the voice, you were greeted by a tall woman dressed in winter clothing, barely a smile on her slim face, "Is it any trouble if I sit here?" Her gloved hand gestured to the empty seat in front of you.
"Oh, not at all! Feel free to take it; it gets quite lonely riding a train by lonesome." You tell her with your signature charming grin. The lady was no doubt of Fontainian high society, her expensive winter coat and luxurious silk garments practically screamed the fact. Her long black tresses were tucked neatly into her fashionable hat, and her purple eyes seemed distant as she gazed at the moving scenery in the window.
It was also the way she carried herself, you noticed- an air of dignity and elegance present in her manner. Hands folded neatly in her lap, a mutual silence was brought upon the both of you, idling as the time passed. The trip to the capital was set to be three hours long if no issues arose, and as the minutes ticked by you could feel yourself getting antsy from sitting in the same place for far too long.
Your fingers dug through the pockets of your coat before fishing out a silver locket, chained to the ornate belt you had donned. Opening it, you smiled softly at the images within; a portrait of your darling daughter Sigewinne on one side, taken on her fourteenth birthday just months before. On the other, a photo of the three of you from a few years ago, smiling serenely at the camera.
You're filled with warmth as you see your little family. While not as big as your brother's, it was no doubt all that you would need. They were both very precious to you, and you couldn't imagine living in a world without the both of them.
"So what brings you to the Court of Fontaine?" The woman in front of you asks, likely in an effort to stifle the silence. You glanced at her, a little surprised, but shared the same sentiment nonetheless.
"My brother is in need of my assistance. Something along the lines of making sure his wife doesn't kill him." You jest, earning a chuckle from her. "And you?"
"Visiting a cousin of mine. He has just arrived back home after being stationed in Chenyu Vale." With a small smile, her stare lingers at you for quite a while, observing you as a doctor would a cadaver. "My name is Clorinde, Marchioness de Champion." She extended her gloved hand for you to take, which you did in earnest.
"Pleasure to meet you, Marchioness."
"I don't think I have ever seen you around high society before. You're a pretty little thing, it's surprising." At the compliment you blushed, shyly grinning before thanking her. It didn't surprise you; in fact, you were expecting it almost. Living in Marcotte meant that you were never in the spotlight, at parties or balls, so it made sense for someone as prominent in high society as the marchioness to be a stranger to your existence.
"Ah, I don't really have the time to do so. My husband and I live quite far from any social circles in the capital." She cocked her brow at you as if to say 'Husband?' In response, you take the locket previously in your hands and showed her the portraits within. "Here is my husband and my daughter, Sigewinne. Though I'm sure you're already fairly acquainted with my husband. He's quite popular amongst high society, I heard."
"Hm, I see…" Her words carry an undertone of understanding, realizing just exactly who your husband was. She gave you a polite smile. "Apologies. I did not realize that you were Madame Neuvillette."
You shook your head, closing the locket and placing it back into your coat. "The apology is on me, marchioness. It was my mistake to forget to introduce myself to you." Both of you shared a hushed laughter, trying not to disturb other passengers as they rode. You both shared a conversation for a few minutes, mostly small talk to pass the time by as the train moved closer and closer to the capital city.
"I must say, I did not expect Monsieur Neuvillette's wife to be as young as you are." Marchioness Clorinde remarked, sipping on the tea provided by the train's staff. She was not one for idle gossip, you've come to realize, but she was gaining an interest in you and your life.
"I get that a lot. Some say that i've wasted my youth marrying a man his age but, in the end, youth isn't really something permanent is it?" You let out a small huff, remembering the words of those who opposed the idea of your husband courting you years ago. "I prefer having the stability of a loving husband, not an adulterating one. I don't quite care if he's twelve years my senior."
Marchioness Clorinde chuckled, "That sentiment I agree with. Though, you would be surprised how many ladies in Fontainian society would beg to differ. It's quite confounding." The laugh you both shared was enough to distract you from your lingering thoughts. On one hand, yes, you were content with the life you lived now. Peaceful and serene, not a problem in sight.
However, you'd be lying if you said there wasn't a part of you gnawing at the chance to love as other ladies did. Your youth was cut short when you promised yourself to Neuvillette at the ripe age of twenty-one, and Sigewinne was born not long after that. Though you loved them very much, there was always a buried envied for your former friends, who still lived the lavish and exciting lives of noble heiresses until their late twenties. On many occasions, you'd wondered how happy you would be if you said no, and married a bachelor your age years ago…
You shook your head. Such silly thoughts were unbecoming of you- you were married to the sweetest man in Fontaine, a diamond in the rough among other noble men, whose debauchery and aggravation resulted in the humiliation of their wives. No, you were fortunate that a man as gentle as Neuvillette had come into your life as your husband.
Before you knew it, the train had slowed it's pace into the Court of Fontaine, finally arriving at the station. Talking with the marchioness definitely helped pass the time, heavens knew how bored you would feel had she not initiated the conversation. As passengers flowed out of the compartment and into the station, you could hardly contain your elation as you look through the frosted windows for a familiar mop of orange hair.
"Marchioness, excuse me- I'll come right back for my belongings." You hastily nodded an apology to the raven-haired woman before excitedly swinging around the corner to exit the train. As you rounded the corner, you felt a another person passing you by, and for a moment you turned your head back towards the figure, meeting the piercing gray eyes of a tall man dressed in a garde's winter uniform. Your eyes linger on each other for just a second, before resuming your path.
You land on the floor of the station much less gracefully than you had intended, trying to avoid bumping into the crowd of passengers near the door as your eyes finally caught sight of your brother. "Ajax!" He whirled around, his lean figure pausing before his freckled face broke out in a contagious grin.
"Pcholka!" Your brother yelled right back, arms wide open for you to practically launch yourself at him. He held you tightly, lifting you off the ground as you both squealed in excitement. It had been so long since the both of you had gotten together, a number of years you were sure. And yet he was still the same, boyish baron you knew as a child.
Inside the train compartment, Marchioness Clorinde sat still, taking note of the way her cousin watched the two siblings through the window. "Charming, isn't she Wriothesley?" She gave him a wry grin, yet he said nothing as he gaze still continued to linger on the woman adorned with fur.
Though he remained silent, Clorinde could see his thoughts very clearly. His jaw tightened, and his eyes never left the window. She shook her head, amusing at the fact that he truly was acting like a soldier who hadn't seen a woman in months. Was the Madame Neuvillette really that striking?
Outside, Ajax broke your embrace to pick up your luggage, two hefty suitcases which he had easily held in both of his hands. In spite of you insisting that he let his coachmen do it, he shook his head vehemently and gave you a boyish smile.
"I still remember when you told me I wasn't strong enough. So, here is me proving that you're wrong." You rolled your eyes, unable to contain your own smile.
"Wait here- I'll be right back." Turning around, you made your way the train once more to collect the remainder of your belongings. In your haste to enter the train, you nearly bumped into one of the train workers- a man covered in black soot, only his tired green eyes seeming to bear down on your soul.
Something heavy began twisting itself in your stomach. Your eyes wanted to tear themselves away from the man's grisly appearance and yet, you couldn't. It confused you, why was it so hard for you to move away? A few seconds passed and all you could do was stare and stare at each other. You gasped, turning your head away from such an unfamiliar sight, before clearing your throat and muttering an apology as you both finally stepped away from each other.
Inside the train, you beamed at the marchioness, who was chatting with the handsome gentleman you had passed by earlier. Upon noticing your presence, the two turned their gazes towards you- though his was exceptionally… piercing. The feeling of discomfort you had before was now replaced with one you can't quite put your finger on, but it felt almost pleasant.
"My brother is here already, so I do apologize for cutting our time short marchioness. I enjoyed your company very much." Despite your pleasant demeanor, you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand slightly from the man's unwavering gaze. He was silent and indifferent the whole time, watching you both with indeterminate motives behind his eyes.
"I quite enjoyed our chat as well." The marchioness stood up and made her way to towards you, leaning in to kiss you on both cheeks as customary for high society women. "My cousin here has also come to pick me up personally. This is Wriothesley, though you may know him more as the Duke of Meropide."
The Duke of Meropide. You've heard tales of him in the battle front- a fierce soldier commandeering a battalion in Chenyu Vale. A man praised for his prowess both in the battlefield and in the beds of Fontaine's women. Though, you'd wager that the last bit was merely a rumor; one that you could believe as the man's lips twitched into an attractive smirk.
"Pleasure, Madame."
You held out your hand for him to take, expecting him to simply kiss your knuckles and be done with it. Instead, he lowered himself down to your gloved fingers, lips opening ever so slightly to kiss your knuckles, striking grey eyes still holding an intense gaze for you, and only you.
Time seemed slower then. Suddenly, you were all too aware of the growing franticness of your heartbeat, and how much warmer it was in underneath your coat. You stare back, too, in bated breath as the duke lets his touch linger for far too long that you should have let it. Had it not been for the glove that adorned your slender hand, you were sure that his lips would have ignited something across your body.
And perhaps, it did.
Before you could shake yourself out of your thoughts, the train car shook violently, almost throwing you off your feet as screams suddenly echoed outside. In a flash Wriothesley had let go of your hand and dashed out of the train to check the commotion. His touch still ghosts over your hand, and there was a disappointing little tug on your heart as you shrink back into yourself in shame. A married woman should not be thinking about a man she just met so wantonly.
After you meet back with Ajax, your eyes fall onto the crowd of officers surrounding the side of the train, barely catching a glimpse of a fallen figure before it was obscured by a black cloth by none other than Wriothesley. According to your brother, the same worker you has encountered earlier had jumped onto the train tracks as it was repaired, presumably slicing him in half.
You shuddered. An unfamiliar chill ran up your spine, reeling from the fact that the same man who you had bumped into was now dead just a few feet away. You tried to take your mind off of it, but it still irked you- it was as if the very notion of his death held your soul captive, in spite of being a stranger. In hopes of distracting yourself, you turned to the Marchioness and your brother, who were immersed in each other's conversation. Behind them, the duke followed closely behind his cousin.
"…it is rather unfortunate. He left behind a large family, god knows what may become of them." Clorinde remarked, purple eyes holding what seemed like pity. Ajax merely nodded along, also sharing her concerns.
"Shouldn't they be compensated for such? It would only be fitting." In an effort to make it seem like you were listening the whole time, you made a suggestion, hoping that they wouldn't notice the way your face had become much paler in the last few minutes.
Wriothesley suddenly paused, turning towards Clorinde, "Wait here, cousin." He said before making his way back down to the crowd, taking out his wallet and a few notes of mora. You couldn't hear the conversation between him and the conductor, but you assumed from the way he spoke to him with tenacity when he gave the notes to the conductor gave you a few ideas.
"You're the one to thank for that." Beside you, the marchioness gave you a small smile, which you returned shyly. Ajax sang his praises of the duke, calling him a good man for doing a deed that most certainly would have been forgotten.
Barely an hour after arriving at the Court of Fontaine and you were already met with such an eventful day. From meeting the two cousins to the grisly death of the worker moments before, you were beginning to miss the tranquility of Marcotte as the seconds ticked by. Your mind weighed heavily on what had transpired, yet all thoughts seemed to go back to one person.
The Duke himself.
He consumed your thoughts like a plague. Maybe it was the fact that he was both roguishly handsome and a gentleman, or maybe it was his eyes- the ones that seemed to pierce you with how sharp they were, almost like a canine's. He enraptured you, maybe bewitched you, you were certain. And yet, you had no opposition to it. But you should, for your husband would most certainly chastise you for thinking so.
The confusion of your thoughts must have bled onto your face, as you feel Ajax's hand squeeze your own after you had sat beside him in his carriage. An action that he had always done to provide you comfort, ever since you were children. You gave him a reassuring smile, leaning your head against his shoulder as the carriage began its journey to his household.
You prayed that it would be your first and last time to see that duke. For your sake and your husband's, because you didn't know what might become of you if his presence haunted you in more places than just your head.
#genshin impact#genshin imagines#genshin impact x reader#genshin childe#madame neuvillette#genshin neuvillette#neuvillette x reader#wriothesley x reader#genshin wriothesley#clorinde#sigewinne
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Modern Problems, Modern Solutions pt 1
Pt2
I have like 4 other parts to this written already but I'll post em when I have time to edit. Yearning with extremely awkward teen Steddie. Eddie as a proper 17 year old would be awkward as hell! I think at least. Additionally, there is quite a bit of swearing so you've been warned. Generally, I just wanted to explore EDDIE catching feelings first and being put out by that.
Modern day AU, or more or less modern give or take 5ish years circa 2015/19. I don't think this takes place in the Hawkins we know from the show.
Small American towns can be kinda backwards, but it varies a lot as to how open and accepting each town/state is. So, suspend disbelief and imagine it as a place that is tolerant of queerness. Also, read with the understanding that in a lot of places in this generalized time people think queerness is actually kinda "trendy" in some ways. It's not taboo but it's also extremely dependant on the person that is queer and "how queer they act". "be gay... but not too gay" etc.--
---
"Did you hear? Steve Harrington just came out as bi--"
Eddie looked up from his phone, feet propped up on the desk in front of him. The boy who had popped his head into their mostly empty homeroom had delivered the news so quickly that everyone there was quietly shocked.
"Son of a bitch," Eddie grumbled, putting his feet down and getting clumps of dirt on the linoleum floor. School hadn't even started and he was already having to deal with this bullshit.
"What?" Gareth asked, laughing a bit awkwardly. He sounded confused like he didn't understand where Eddie was directing his vitriol.
"Leave it to some preppy, jock, rich-boy to make 'being gay' cool--asshole," Eddie's words were drenched in sarcasm and mockery, going as far as to air-quote when he said being gay.
"I've been fucking gay since 8th grade and now some 16-year-old wannabe happens to be queer it's big news?" Eddie sat back with frustration, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching in his seat.
"I don't think you're supposed to say queer--" Jeff started to correct only to shut up quickly when Eddie whipped his head around to him and glared.
"I can say whatever the hell I want. I'm the one that's queer!" Eddie spat, hating that so much of this 'being gay is okay' culture circled around the heterosexual perspective of what was and was not okay.
Eddie grouched for the rest of the day, keeping his head down and feeling his nostrils flare every time a whisper of today's big news passed by him in the hallways. Who fucking cared? Steve Harrington was thee popular boy in school and was talked about as if he was their generation's teen heart-throb. It was to a point where Eddie knew who he was despite him being an underclassman. He was in grade 12 and he still had to hear about Steve Harrington as if he mattered. Sports star, good-looking, daddy's boy.
It was so goddamn annoying. Eddie had been out since he was thirteen and he had suffered through the humiliation of 'being queer' all the way through high school. He had the scars to prove it and it pissed him off that four years later it felt like people were singing Steve's praises for being brave enough to come out. Who fucking cared? Being gay was cool now or something--it gave you an edge and despite the fact that Eddie was bi himself, it truly felt like bisexuality was a cop-out to get girls to think you were hot with no intention to do the whole gay part of it. That was unfair to think, but in his biased opinion, some popular boy didn't deserve to be treated delicately while he had been in the trenches over it.
Eddie glared as the school day ended as he walked outside into the Autumn air. He could see Steve across the parking lot chatting to a gaggle of people around his car. He was smiling and laughing and everyone seemed so eager to let him know they accepted him. Or whatever the fuck. He couldn't actually hear what they were saying.
"Does the torture of high school know no fucking end?" Eddie grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, not paying attention to where he was going.
"Tell me about it."
Eddie looked up at the sound of a voice; the words that were spoken dripped with sarcasm. Robin was leaning against her bike by Eddie, bag slung over her shoulder as she watched the fanfare from a safe distance--same as Eddie. Robin was president of the LGBT-Alliance club, and Eddie knew her from band. Robin was two years younger than him, but she had come in hot and loud about being a lesbian straight from jump. Despite how meek she was in many regards, she was smart and dedicated to her beliefs. Eddie could respect that.
"Get a load, huh?" Eddie asked, scoffing as he glanced back over at Steve.
"Hmm," Robin offered quietly, staring for a moment before starting to put on her helmet, "he's been coming to meetings pretty regularly over the last couple of months, you know."
Eddie looked back at Robin, surprised to hear her... defending Steve Harrington? He thought it was unanimous that geeks and weirdos like them hated guys like that.
"You'd know if you ever showed up for meetings," Robin said a bit flippantly, and Eddie frowned at her.
He had tried the whole LGBT-Alliance thing and it just wasn't his space. It was boring and he hated that the group generally just talked about events and progress they should make. He didn't want any of that, he just wanted to hang out with a couple of people that were queer like him. He didn't want to be scheduling and painting signs or whatever the fuck. He had his own things to do after school--band, D&D, chucking dirt wads at a wall--anything was better than sitting in what was essentially a business meeting.
"Come on," Eddie grumbled, not wanting to acknowledge that if Steve had been attending the LGBT-Alliance meetings that this 'leaving the closet thing' had been a long time coming.
"He's actually a decent guy," Robin defended as she adjusted her helmet straps, "all things considered."
Eddie huffed a laugh, scoffing at Robin.
"Didn't think I'd be hearing this from you, Buckley--I thought lesbians were supposed to hate all men or something," Eddie retorted, not really meaning it but feeling confrontational.
"Don't be a drag," Robin sighed, rolling her eyes at the comment, "talk to Will Byers about it or whatever. He's in your D&D thing, right?"
"Hellfire," Eddie corrected, thinking about that for a moment. Will was in both their clubs and he was close friends with Dustin--who also seemed to adore Steve Harrington for some reason. It was stupid, he didn't understand why half the kids in his after-school club liked the guy. Eddie had never had any personal conflict with Steve, but he fit the shape of every guy Eddie had ever taken issue with.
"Whatever," Robin retorted, getting onto her bike, "you know we're having a mixer next weekend. You should come."
Eddie looked at her, frowning again. He didn't want to go to a mixer, whatever she meant by that. Robin seemed to pick up on the mild confusion he had around the comment, explaining further.
"Geez, there's like posters around the school, Eddie. Our alliance and like 4 other schools in our district are having like an LGBT dance, mixer, party or whatever. Hosting in Talho on Saturday. We've got a pretty big turnout already, tickets are five bucks."
"Five bucks?" Eddie huffed, acting as if that number was ridiculous for an event like this. He didn't want to admit that it sounded kind of... nice. With four other school districts... that meant there would be a lot of guys that were undeniably queer he'd get to meet for the first time if he went. That was something. It'd really be something if he walked away with a date.
"I'll think about it," Eddie said, waving Robin off and continuing his slouch across the parking lot to start his long walk home.
—--
"Call me if you need a ride," Wayne said as Eddie shuffled out of the cab of the truck. He stood at the door, having to look up at Wayne in order to see him from how much the suspension of Wayne's old gas-guzzler hoisted the truck off the ground.
"Yeah, yeah," Eddie huffed, feeling put out already for having decided to come. He was having second thoughts as he stood there, holding Wayne's door.
"Eddie," Wayne said a bit more firmly, looking for a straight answer.
"I'll call if I need a ride home-- or whatever," Eddie replied, sounding annoyed as he shut the door and turned towards the school gym.
It was obvious where the event was being hosted and he felt weird showing up alone. He had decided to come after much lamenting, resigning himself to just chatting to Will all night if he hated the damn thing. It felt weird, and he quietly hoped that at least some people his age would show up. He didn't want to be stuck as the oldest person there amongst a sea of 14 and 15-year-olds.
The event wasn't formal, but Eddie had tried to clean up a bit. He'd left his leather jacket and vest at home, opting for just an old denim jacket and a T-shirt that didn't have a band or logo on it. Other than that, he was still in scuffed-up shoes and ripped jeans, but he hoped that didn't put people off. Not that it mattered. Not that he ultimately cared. He didn't want to talk to anyone who had a problem with it to begin with, but it still made him feel self-conscious. Really, he hadn't dressed up because he didn't have anything to dress up into. Even the debate of if this was worth five bucks or if he should save it in order to get the luxury of sub-par pizza next week had been a difficult choice to make. He hated showing up to things like this and sticking out like a sore thumb--he hated being easily marked as poor.
Eddie paid his entry fee and stepped into the gym; the decorations were tacky and everything screamed 'event put on by teenagers.' There was something kind of charming about that though, even if it felt a bit pedestrian. It was sort of as he feared though... there were people here--a decent amount--but everyone looked so... young. The realisation made Eddie tense a bit as he moved over to the refreshments table and idled before getting a drink.
Great. Just great. He had spent five bucks for an awkward night leaning against a wall and drinking fruit punch.
"Eddie!"
Eddie turned to see Robin waving at him. She had a vest with a button on it signifying that she was a leader in the club. She probably had responsibilities to attend to during the night, but she did look mildly excited to see him there.
Feeling like he didn't have much of an option, Eddie migrated in her direction, feeling very self-conscious about the whole thing.
"Hey, you made it," Robin offered, a few people hovering around her. It was sort of obvious that she was busy, but Eddie appreciated her taking the time to say hi.
"Yeah, figured I'd check it out at least," Eddie said, talking into his cup as he looked around the room. He didn't really have time to lament though as a small commotion worked its way towards them.
"Sorry--sorry!"
Eddie looked to see Steve Harrington making his way over to them with what looked like 4 dozen balloons. It was kind of comical really, seeing him try to fight past the sea of bobbing, colourful globes.
"Steve!" Robin said sharply, her volume subdued but still stern.
"Sorry--there was a hold-up--" Steve replied, awkwardly trying to move the balloons to see past them and talk directly to Robin.
"Oh—oh-How-what? A holdup?" Robin mocked back, tisking as she took a bundle of the balloons from Steve and handed them to the girls beside her.
"Uh, yeah, Buckley. There was a holdup, you gagging on ten-dollar lipstick or something?" Steve retorted quickly "looks good by the way." He was gesturing to the make-up Robin had on and the bright red lipstick she had applied which was fairly different compared to her usual look.
Eddie snorted into his cup, choking slightly as he tried to hold back from laughing at the burn. Robin looked offended for half a beat before smacking one of the balloons directly into Steve's face and taking the rest of the handful.
"Ow--hey," Steve complained, getting aggressively jostled as Robin walked past him.
Despite what was being said, the whole exchange had been... friendly. It was weird really, it looked and sounded like Robin and Steve were actually friends. They were toying with each other and being bitchy in a way Eddie had only ever seen best buddies do, which was really goddamn weird to see coming from a superstar, jock hunk, and the local raging feminist, band geek.
"You're on my shit-list," Robin commented, pointing over her shoulder at Steve and then bustling off with the other girls and the balloons. Obviously, they had been meant for decorations and Robin was now rushed to finish setting everything up. The whole exchange had been so quick Eddie hadn't even been able to properly react before he was standing there... with Steve.
Steve turned towards him and Eddie averted his gaze, still holding his punch glass up to his lips.
"Hey," Steve greeted, sounding much too charming.
"Hey," Eddie mumbled back, turning slightly and facing the room instead of looking at Steve. He didn't walk away, that felt like a bridge too far, but he wasn't going to open himself up to a conversation.
"Eddie, right?" Steve asked, and Eddie glanced at him, watching Steve push his hair back into place. He hadn't realised, but Steve was panting slightly, obviously catching his breath from... probably running in here to deliver Robin's balloons.
"Yeah," Eddie confirmed, looking away again as he slouched. Great. He was stuck talking to Steve with no obvious escape plan. Perfect.
"Steve--"
"I know who you are," Eddie replied, not letting Steve finish his introduction. It had probably just been to be polite anyway, but it was obvious that Eddie knew who he was. They went to school together. They had mutual friends. It wasn't rocket science.
That shut Steve up for a moment and chewed at Eddie's guts. That had been a bit rude. Steve hadn't actually done anything wrong, yet, so really he should just save it for another time. Steve was stuck here too after all, with a bunch of kids just like Eddie.
"Pretty... young," Eddie said, watching the gym as people mingled. It really was just a bunch of 14 or 15-year-olds chatting with one another. They seemed to be having fun, and Eddie was glad for that since he hadn't had anything like this when he was that age.
"Hm, yeah," Steve replied, sounding kind of amused for some reason. "Always the damn babysitter, huh?"
Eddie glanced at him for that comment, not really understanding where it was coming from.
"Yeah..." Eddie offered, wondering if he had said it because Hellfire Club also skewed younger. He had seen Steve drop Dustin off before, scolding him like a mother would over something, but he had never come inside to meet anyone at Hellfire. Eddie had just noticed it was all.
An awkward silence drew out between them and Eddie could tell that Steve was starting to feel uncomfortable too.
"You seen Will Byers anywhere?" Eddie asked, looking for an out. He knew that Steve knew Will, he was one of those mutual friends.
"Oh, yeah," Steve offered, not making a motion to point anywhere, "but I'd leave him alone tonight if I were you."
Eddie quirked a brow at Steve, something of a challenge in his stance as he looked at him. Why on earth would he leave Will Byers alone tonight?
"I drove him--" Steve half explained, obviously realising that he needed to elaborate, "that's why uh I'm--it doesn't matter. There's a boy here that he likes."
Eddie's eyebrows shot up at Steve's explanation, looking back at the floor and the sea of dweeby, little gays circling each other awkwardly. Oh. Right. This was a lot of people's first chance to do anything with someone queer like them. He hadn't considered that Will would have someone here he intended to talk to.
Eddie laughed, both at his own stupidity and the charming realisation that he was glad this whole thing was happening, even if he wasn't having a good time.
"Good for him," Eddie snorted, cheersing the room and taking a swig of his punch.
"God," Eddie sighed, finding the humour in this whole thing now, "who the hell am I supposed to bother now?"
He was lamenting for no real reason, wondering quietly to himself if he should hold out and wait to see if anyone else his age showed up or if he should just cut his losses and start the long walk home. At least then, once he got back, Wayne would just assume he got a ride and had a good time. He didn't want to admit to Wayne that he ditched, not after he had agonised over whether or not it was worth it to spend the five dollars. Wayne had supported him going and assured him it wasn't a waste if he wanted to go. Eddie didn't want to prove him wrong.
Eddie glanced at Steve, wondering how he was going to excuse himself now that his out was occupied. He caught Steve looking at him and quickly looked forward again, surveying the room. That was weird. Eddie took note of that, slowly looking back at the party unfolding before them.
"So... Bi, huh?" Eddie offered, not sure why he was trying. He'd give it until he finished his glass of punch and then he'd walk home if no one interesting entered the party.
Steve seemed to laugh a bit awkwardly to that, doing this weird thing with his hands where he clasped them behind his back and then swung them forward to clasp at his front. It was the most uncomfortable Eddie had ever seen him--not that he had paid a ton of attention to Steve before now.
Oh. Eddie realised, feeling his chest clench a little, this was a lot of people's first chance to talk to another queer person. He was the oldest one here, closely followed by Steve... they were both fish out of water. Steve had the club, but there weren't a lot of guys their age that Eddie knew of who were queer. Steve had been mingling with kids this whole time. He was the elder here... weird.
"Yeah, I didn't really expect it to become a whole... thing," Steve replied, shaking Eddie from his thoughts. Right, he had pointedly questioned Steve's sexuality. Classy.
"Yeah, well, they'll get over it," Eddie retorted, feeling a bit bad now that he had been so dismissive of Steve's attempt to talk to him.
"I mean, it's been fine, I guess," Steve replied, sounding unsure of himself but not exactly bothered. Eddie could understand that, he didn't have the same experience per se, but all the guys at Hellfire knew he was queer and it was fine. He could remember being unsure though how gay he got to act around them all. It had been awkward and uncomfortable to find the rhythm of where you all sat, even if no one was blatantly rejecting you.
"Feels like you and everyone else are walking on eggshells about it, right?" Eddie asked, sighing as he leaned back until he hit the wall behind them, slouching.
"Something like that," Steve replied, his words coming out slowly as he watched Eddie and then took half a step back to join him against the wall.
"My advice? Just don't fall in love with your best friends," Eddie joked, only half serious. It verged on real advice, but it wasn't like it was something you could help.
Steve laughed anyway, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, as if. No thanks."
Something about that made Eddie smile a bit. Steve had been so dismissive of the idea as if the mere mention of having a mild interest in some jock was unheard of.
Eddie took a swig of his punch, swallowing hard as he started to relax a little bit.
"I'm bi too, you know," he said, sucking his upper lip to get the rest of the juice off.
"I can't remember if I used that word when I came out though--people just sort of figured with me, I don't think I really had to tell anyone."
"Yeah?" Steve asked, sounding interested but not sure how to progress.
"Uh, c'ya, what do you think?" Eddie mocked back, flipping his long hair over his shoulders and then flicking it back with his hands from side to side as if he were walking down some kind of runway. Long hair didn't mean you were gay, but it was a step towards making people think you were.
Steve laughed at that too, properly this time without that edge of awkwardness to it. That, in turn, made Eddie smile a bit. He liked it when people found him funny, it felt good to make people laugh. It felt better still to be joking about something gay and not having to correct or explain anything to the other person. Steve was queer too, even if he was new at this, there wasn't that same level of judgment. Huh... funny though that he suddenly just accepted that Steve was queer when he had been put off by the idea initially.
The night carried on like that and Eddie was surprised to find... that he didn't mind talking to Steve all that much. There were quite a few cultural touchstones that he didn't have when it came to 'nerd shit' but he didn't seem to be annoyed by Eddie explaining those things to him if it was necessary. Eddie had gotten a bit louder and more loose before too long, even if he wasn't exactly buddy-buddy with Steve. And Steve, surprisingly, had stuck with him the whole night. Really, the event hadn't matured at all and Eddie had little desire to go mingle with the kids--especially when the kid that he knew here was probably trying his best to flirt. What the hell was he supposed to do? Walk up to a group of youngsters and just ask what they were talking about? "Trust me, trust me. I play games with children all the time!" Yeah, no.
Eddie's watch beeped at him and he looked at it, turning the little digital screen off. It wasn't that late, just past 10 really, but the longer he waited the more miserable the walk home would be.
"Well, that's my queue," Eddie said, pushing off the wall and leaving his cup on a table by them. "I should go."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, not regretting having come after all, but not really feeling like staying either. Steve had made the night bearable, but Eddie wasn't all that eager to keep it up.
"Why? Or you'll turn into a pumpkin?" Steve asked, teasing a little.
Eddie snorted at him, finding that line incredibly cheesy and in turn kind of funny because of that.
"Yeah, I've got to go traipse into the woods and take root or I'll start sprouting weeds like a chia-pet."
Steve chuckled at him, looking over to the doors. Eddie started walking towards the exit anyway, and Steve seemed surprised that he was actually going. He got off the wall and walked a few paces with Eddie before they both stopped, lingering a bit.
"I've just got to start walking home," Eddie explained, pinching his brows in, finding it kind of amusing that Steve seemed... concerned? He wasn't sure, it felt out of character for a cool guy to be following him.
"Walking home?" Steve asked, again, sounding surprised. "To Hawkins?"
"No to the moon, Bilbo was writing about me. Yeah back to Hawkins," he answered sarcastically, jamming his thumb towards the doors. Steve didn't seem bothered by the reply, even if he squinted for a moment with confusion with Eddie's mention of Bilbo.
"You live at Hawkins Trailer Park, right?" Steve asked.
The question instantly made Eddie tense, and he set his jaw a bit.
"Yeah, why?" He asked, sounding a bit defensive. He didn't like this line of questioning. It always felt weird when people commented on the fact that he lived in a trailer park. It especially felt weird coming from rich-boy Steve Harrington.
"Jeez, chill. I'll give you a ride, I live near there too," Steve explained, taking his keys out of his pocket and jostling them, "Hawkins is too far to walk to from here."
Eddie blinked at him a moment, floored by the offer for some reason.
"You don't have to do that, man," Eddie replied, feeling extremely awkward all of a sudden. "You should stay."
"And do what?" Steve asked, sounding amused. He looked over his shoulder at the crowd of young teens chatting and mingling before looking back at Eddie with a raised brow.
"Fair enough," Eddie replied, banishing his guilt for now. Steve was right though, Hawkins was far to walk to from here and there really wasn't a lot keeping Steve at the mixer. Will was getting a ride home from his brother and Robin was too busy fussing over every little thing to mingle. Plus, the event really would be closing soon so Steve didn't have to stay.
Eddie still felt awkward as he walked up to Steve's beamer and prepared himself to feel awkward the whole drive back to Hawkins. It was a nice car and he couldn't help but constantly think about how he had never been in a car this nice before. It wasn't brand-spanking new, but it almost felt like it with how clean it was. The car was spotless really and it was obvious that Steve took extremely good care of his ride.
"This is... uh, a nice ride," Eddie said, running his hands over the dash as Steve drove, before sitting back again.
"Thanks," Steve replied, chuckling a little. Eddie really was admiring the car; he wasn't a gear-head but he could appreciate a nice ride. Thrill bubbled in Eddie's stomach all of a sudden as he glanced at Steve.
"How fast can this thing go?"
Steve looked at him in turn, the moment drawing out between them before Steve's lips cracked into a smile.
"Want to find out?"
Eddie's eyes widened and he smiled back, surprised and pleased that his ask was being met. God, it was so stupid. They were being such teenagers right now. Steve in his daddy's bought, fast car with the punk, bad-influence kid in his passenger's seat ready to tear it up on the freeway.
Steve pulled off the main road and Eddie's stomach swooped with excitement. He didn't know where they were going but he figured Steve knew somewhere they could drive without hitting anyone. He didn't want to be stupid about it, maybe a bit reckless, but hey--they were young. When else were they going to do this shit?
Eddie leaned forward, turning on the radio and fiddling with the dial.
"What're you doing?" Steve asked, sounding amused as they drove towards some back, country road. Perfect.
"Finding the right music!" Eddie replied, sounding equal parts excited and exasperated for being asked. He was flicking through the dial quickly, only pausing for a beat or two before switching again until he found what he was looking for.
"You done?" Steve asked as Eddie paused for a moment longer to confirm that he liked the song. He looked at Steve before cranking the volume dial and sticking his tongue out.
"Let's fucking go," Eddie whooped, sitting back and bracing himself as he felt Steve hit the gas and they started rocketing down the road.
Fear mingled with thrill as Eddie sat back, holding onto the door as they drove down this pitch-black road. He shouted with excitement, obviously stressed but having a blast. Steve seemed cool as could be, smiling with the thrill of it too but none of Eddie's anxieties.
"Fuckin' hell--" Eddie managed as they reached a bend and Steve slowed down to take it. He started to decelerate, their quick little drag race having finished.
"We should do that again!" Eddie continued, panting a bit as he felt his heart pounding in his chest.
"Chill out--" Steve snorted, falling back into the rules of the road as he stopped at an unmarked rail crossing. "Cops like to drive around here--we'd be risking it."
"Boooo," Eddie called, smiling in a joking way. He understood and he wouldn't push it even if he wanted that adrenaline rush again.
"Another time then," Eddie replied finally, pausing for a moment as he realised he had assumed he'd be in Steve's car again for some reason.
"Sure," Steve answered back easily, chuckling a little.
Eddie glanced at him, before reaching to turn the music volume back down. He didn't turn it off though, needing the quiet metal to help settle him.
Steve sure did laugh a lot, didn't he? Was Eddie really that amusing?
Eddie felt his pocket buzz and he squirmed before taking his phone out. It was Wayne. He was asking if Eddie needed a ride, surely expecting that Eddie had lost track of time or something like that. Eddie let the car fall into silence as he replied back to Wayne, feeling a bit weird all of a sudden. He kept typing and retyping what to say.
No, I got a ride from a friend. Were Steve and him friends?
I'm good. Too vague, it would worry Wayne too much.
Some guy gave me a lift. That sounded sketchy as hell. Eddie just settled on 'no, I got a ride' and left it at that, but it made him feel weird regardless.
"Everything okay?" Steve asked, drawing Eddie's attention back to him.
"Oh, yeah, no, yeah. Just my uncle wondering how I was getting home," Eddie explained, feeling weird about Steve asking him something like that. Robin had been right... he really wasn't such a bad guy after all.
"So," Eddie said, breaking the silence, running his hands over the seat, "this car get you mad puss?" He asked, his tone jovial and teasing as he stuck his tongue out between his fingers, being lewd on purpose. He didn't know why his default was raunchy humour, but it had tumbled out of him before he thought too hard about it.
"God, shut up--" Steve replied in good humour, sounding surprised and amused by the sudden comment.
"I know I've got a reputation, but jeez, man," Steve laughed, driving them back onto the main road towards Hawkins.
"So... that a yes?" Eddie teased, enjoying this little banter.
"Yeah," Steve confirmed, before glancing at Eddie out of the corner of his eye with a wry smile.
Eddie burst out laughing at that, finding it more than a little amusing that Steve was leaning into the tease and taking it on the chin.
"Fuck, dude," Eddie giggled, not sure why that was just so amusing. It felt so weird to have good-boy, Steve Harrington talking to him about getting laid. This was so fucked up. This was so fucking weird.
"So," Steve started as Eddie stared out the window, still grinning to himself a bit, "how long have you known you were..."
Eddie glanced at Steve before lounging against the door, smiling at him.
"Queer?"
Steve looked at Eddie from the corner of his eye, obviously a little unsure of himself.
"You can say it you know," Eddie offered, crossing his arms and looking nonplussed. "If you are one, you get to say it as long as you're not like slurring it at someone or something. Welcome to the restricted section."
"Alright..." Steve replied, sounding a little unsure still. Eddie smiled at that too, finding it a bit charming how baby gay Steve was over the whole thing. He felt a bit superior all of a sudden, and he liked that feeling with Steve. He was in a fast car with the most popular boy in school and he was talking to him about how to be queer. What a trip.
"Since forever," Eddie replied, "I've known since forever. It was more weird for me to figure out that not everyone felt the same way. Like, girls--guys, whatever. Hot people are hot, end of story."
Steve nodded to that and Eddie tucked into the corner of his seat, feeling cool and relaxed as he watched Steve drive.
"You?"
Steve seemed to waffle a bit at the question, putting too much thought into it no doubt.
"I don't know," he finally replied, looking dissatisfied with his own answer, "somewhat recently, I think? It's like... I acknowledged it maybe a few months ago but, I don't know. Before that, I sort of felt like I was being dramatic or something? Like, obviously, I like girls so that's fine, it felt kinda... cliche?"
Eddie cringed a bit at the phrase Steve used, nodding his head and glancing away. He had much the same judgment towards Steve until recently. That had been unfair. It didn't matter that Steve was popular or that there had been less risk involved in his 'coming out' compared to Eddie. He was pretty and sporty and even if there was something a little cliche about an all-American boy like him turning out to be queer it didn't mean it was wrong.
"Your folks know?" Eddie asked, talking softer, not wanting to pry if Steve didn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah," Steve answered easily, his tone unreadable. "They knew before I uh... came out socially?"
Eddie nodded, rubbing his head against the window and feeling the car vibrate under him.
"They... cool?" He asked, feeling a bit weird about the whole thing. He was older than Steve, but he didn't really feel like he was. Steve had so much... going on. He had his own car, activities, career paths--he seemed so put together. He was perfectly coiffed and dressed, his car spotless... Eddie was the exact opposite. He wanted to be a musician and he worked hard at it, but sometimes it felt like he was putting all his eggs in one basket.
"Uh.... yeah, mostly," Steve replied, sounding a bit hesitant.
"That great, huh?" Eddie asked, smiling lightly and trying to sound sympathetic.
"No, well, my mom seems pretty accepting of it. Unsure like... nervous? I don't know. My dad... I don't really know what he thinks yet. He's--it doesn't matter."
Eddie frowned slightly as Steve cut himself off. It was a personal topic and he didn't blame him for not wanting to share, but it felt kind of bad to hear Steve say it didn't matter.
"What about your uh... uncle?" Steve asked, sounding awkward as he shifted the conversation.
"Yeah, he's cool," Eddie replied, looking back out the window, "I don't think he really knows how to be supportive necessarily so he's just like... trucking on but he's never dropped the ball. Treats all my... gay shit as if it was just normal shit." Eddie replied, laughing a little bit. He knew he was lucky to have Wayne. Not every queer person had a supportive family and once upon a time, he hadn't had that either. Wayne was a saviour... in more ways than one.
"That's... cool," Steve answered and Eddie snorted a little at how awkward the delivery had been.
"What?" Steve replied, sounding a bit amused.
"That's... cool," Eddie mocked, making his voice sound girly and vapid.
"Shut up," Steve scoffed, drawing up the syllables a bit.
Eddie grinned, liking that Steve seemed to be easy to torment. He went for the bait every time, but he never seemed overly offended.
"Gee wiz, Eddie, your uncle seems like such a cool guy," Eddie continued, being annoying on purpose. He kept it up as Steve started to laugh in mock annoyance. "Let's you go to a pre-teen party and everything."
"Stop--" Steve booed, glancing at Eddie quickly before purposefully wobbling the steering wheel and making the car quickly veer back and forth.
Eddie jolted up right at the movement, grabbing the door.
"Shit--don't--" Eddie squawked, smiling despite how that had made his stomach drop.
"Asshole--" Eddie jeered, looking at Steve who was grinning back at him. Okay, so Steve was actually fun? Was this why Dustin and those kids liked him so much? Mr. Uptight-jock was actually a little bit of a wild child hidden behind good hair and a dazzling smile?
Eddie settled into his seat, feeling kind of good about the night as he looked back out the window and let the rest of the drive grow quiet. They weren't far from Hawkins now and a part of Eddie felt kind of strung out from the weird emotional whiplash of the night.
"You know," Eddie said as they pulled up towards the trailer park, "you're actually not a bad guy, Steve Harrington."
Steve looked at him, eyebrows pinched in with mild concern.
"Thanks?"
"It's a compliment," Eddie scoffed in a friendly way, unbuckling his seatbelt as Steve drove slowly down the gravel road.
"Oh, well, thank you then," Steve reiterated a bit more sarcastically.
"You're also kind of a bitch," Eddie retorted, smiling at him and getting an incredulous sound from Steve. The car pulled to a stop and Eddie climbed out. He shut the door but lingered a second until Steve rolled down the window. He leaned over the frame and looked in at Steve.
"I can see why those kids think you're kind of cool," Eddie continued, feeling kind of... charmed. "Guess that makes you cool in my books too."
"Cool? Or cool?" Steve asked, mocking Eddie's previous buffoonery.
Eddie laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back.
"You're a bit of a dork too, you know that?"
He liked dorky guys.
"A dork? This? Coming from you?" Steve asked, inching his car forward a bit to keep Eddie in view of the window.
"Oh, cram-it," Eddie retorted, flipping Steve off through the window. He patted the doorframe lightly, careful not to hit it with any of his rings.
"Thanks for the ride though," Eddie swallowed, not really looking at Steve but still trying to be friendly.
"Yeah, man. Don't worry about it."
Eddie nodded, feeling weird about just walking away. He kind of wanted to stay out, chat more, and just listen to the radio with Steve which was... a weird thought. They didn't really have anything in common, and somehow Eddie knew that they weren't going to talk again at school. Steve was popular, he wasn't. Eddie was graduating this year, and Steve was 16. They ran in completely different circles.
"Kay, well, later then," Eddie offered, half waving his hand in front of the window before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking towards his trailer. Steve didn't say anything back, but he waited for Eddie to get his door open before pulling away like a proper gentleman.
The whole night felt... so odd to Eddie. He didn't know if he could say he had a good time, or even what had happened during the night, but it had been... nice. It had nothing to do with the mixer or anything Eddie had prepared himself for that night but instead, his good mood rested solely on his interaction with Steve. It was so weird and it left him feeling like he was in limbo. Like this night had been a weird pocket event and he'd never have a repeat of anything like it again. Nothing big had happened, nothing important, and there was nothing to remember about it really... but it felt like he wanted to hold onto it somehow.
Eddie huffed and stretched his lips, before finally taking the last few steps into the trailer. There was no point dwelling on something he couldn't touch and thinking too hard about it would probably ruin everything anyways. This could just be a one off. He could just look back on this and think about how nice it had been to bond... with Steve Harrington.
#steddie#in later chapters Eddie pretends to be a dorky vampire#steddie fic#stranger things#eddie munson#steve harrington#my_writing#i really love writing them “getting together”#i think it's so fun to explore all the different ways it could happen
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02/12/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; Parrot Analytics; Cast & Crew; Kristian Nairn; Nathan Foad; Erroll Shand; Trends and Stats; V-Day Video for Prime; In person events and Watch Party reminders; People of Earth; WooAsACrew; Kudoboard for Cast & Crew Update; Love Notes; Daily Darby; Tonight's Taika;
Well folks, it was another busy busy day. I apologize, I'm a bit exhausted today so I'll be making this quicker than normal.
== Parrot Analytics ==
Some Q4 data was released by Parrot Analytics for HBO and Max and as you can probably imagine, this made most of the internet explode. Referencing @adoptourcrew here since they did a great bit of research.
SRC: HBO's Most Popular Shows - hidden behind Paywall
== UK How You Can Help==
Below are actions to do every day to capitalise on #OurFlagBBC! More info below on how to use YouGov. Tumblr
=Cast & Crew Sightings=
= Wee John Wondays ==
I think everyone's favorite part of the day was when Nathan Foad appeared on Wee John Wonday's. He is by far one of the best guests ever.
Please go watch the whole damn live, but if you don't have time right now. Here's a clip from our fabulous friend @edscuntyeyeshadow who recorded it for us, I have just left it on repeat so I can continue to laugh.
A few quotes/highlights in case you can't watch anything right now:
Highlights:
Kristian's Garage Fire
Nathan's Writing
Nathan was VERY sick at the beginning of filming S2, Sick AF and had to learn how to roll and smoke cigarettes.
Nathan was not aware he was on camera when the sandwich hit him in the face.
Gypsy made him a jacket to wear IRL that matched his gorgeous one in the show (Gypsy is the best)
Nathan's favorite scene was the one with Matt Maher with the Art on the Wall.
Kristian's favorite scene was the one with Con O'Neill and asking to put on make up
Quotes:
"NOT TO BE A BIG THING RIGHT NOW BUT I AM" - Nathan
"Sniffed the air like a fox in heat" - Kristian
"You little gay bitch" - Nathan
"Mid town special" - Nathan, as Kristian
"Im a horrible un wanted nipple twister" - Kristian
"Needy puffs" - Nathan
== Erroll Shand ==
As usual our dear friend Erroll is out here really pushing the SaveOFMD material/data.
== Trends and Stats ==
== Valentine's Day Video For Prime ==
It’s Monday, which means it’s time to send Prime Video all our love ! Let’s #WooAsACrew 🐙💜
Vocals: ferventrabbit on Twitter
Video: Giulianaazr on Twitter
youtube
== Event and Watch Party Reminders! ==
= OFMD Matelotage Processional =
Tues Feb 13: 8-11 am at:
Kismet Salon
4111 W Olive Ave.
Burbank CA 91505
If you show up-- you get free stickers!
= People of Earth Watch Party =
People of Earth Season 1: Episodes 3 and 4 tomorrow! If you don't have access reachout to @iamadequate1!
10 PM GMT / 5 PM EST / 4 PM CST / 2 PM PST
#PiratesOfEarth
#SaveOFMD
#AdoptOurCrew
= WooAsACrew =
Tue 13: Send @netflix some love!
== Cast & Crew Kudoboard ==
Hey all, I already made a short post about it but the Kudoboard was overrun by some absolute twats today so I had to lock it down with a password.
If you'd like to still submit something to the cast and crew that's still doable, you'll just need the pw.
Please just DM me here or twitter, or Instagram, or wherever you can find me or the @saveofmdcrewmates folks also have it.
We will be sending it off / locking it on Valentine's day early morning so please reach out prior!
== Love Notes ==
Hey lovelies, I am really low on spoons tonight so I'm gonna let some other folks send you love on my behalf. See you tomorrow, all the love. <3
== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==
Tonight's gifs are courtesy of:
Taika: @chrysalis-writes and Rhys: @thunderwingdoomslayer
Happy Murray Monday and Enjoy tomorrow's Taika Tuesday!
#daily ofmd recap#daily ofmd recaps#ofmd daily recap#ofmd daily recaps#ofmd#our flag means death#save ofmd#rhys darby#save our flag means death#taika waititi#kristian nairn#nathan foad#erroll shand#wee john wondays#in person events#watch partys
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Ivan Interview translation
Ivan, the Next CF Star
Just two months after his debut, Ivan was selected as an ambassador for the famous luxury brand Q. Ivan is the first non-native 'pet human' to become an ambassador for Q. "Ivan's stoic yet playful visuals are perfect for capturing the diverse appeal of Q," said Q's chief designer.
Ivan, who recently topped the Alien Stage live voting, is being touted as the next big CF star after Luca. He's been inundated with requests from designers all over the world who want to put ads on his outfits. He has already collaborated with nine brands, all of them big brands. The public's attention is focused on how his growing popularity will affect the Alien stage.
Interview
Since the third round aired, it’s become very popular. Are you feeling the buzz?
Alien Stage is growing in popularity every day. Did the crew recognise me during the CF shoot? It's funny because at the beginning of the show, there weren't many people in the world who recognized me, and now there are so many people that I can't get through the streets by myself. (Laughs)
You’re currently ranked #78, at this rate top 20 is possible, isn’t it?
Thank you for your kind words. I'd love to keep the momentum going and make it to the top 20, but I'll leave the choice up to the masses.
You have a lot of titles that describe you, right? Do you have a favourite?
My favorite is "Blocell's #1 Brand Reputation" from a recent article. It makes me feel like all those days of photo shoots and commercials weren't in vain.
What do you think makes you unique?
I can think of more bad things than good (laughs), but, um… I think the thing that fans talk about a lot is my partial fang. I think I have a normal face, but there are many people who remember me for my fang.
What’s your secret to getting the best shots?
The day before my schedule, I study the brand I'm going to shoot for so that I can clearly understand the directions on set. Knowing the brand in detail is fundamental as a model. I also think it's important to make it a habit to take care of my body.
What is your ideal girlfriend? Lots of girls around the world want to know!
I don’t have a specific dream girl, I’ve never really thought about it. If I were to choose one…. No, I don’t have one. (Laughs)
Are you close with Till?
What’s your definition of “close”? (Laughs)
We’re just okay. Mediocre at best.
Let me ask you straight up. Do you think you can beat Till?
I don’t know… If you could perform as wildly as him, you might win too, right?
Say something to Till, your next opponent!
…..Keep it up?
read it for your own here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ivan-interview-99972496
also i’m sure an official english version will be out soon i just like doing these lol
okay!!! i feel like vivinos is dropping red flags here but idk 🥺 ive already been theorising that ivan will be the one to lose and the audience here seems to support him too much..
i translated “힘내” previously as “Come on” in the snippet where till punched ivan but i think it makes more sense here to translate it as “Keep it up” (it’s just generally words of uplifting encouragement)
also for the part about his fang my translator translated that as “false teeth” and boy when i tell you i was confused 💀
also following up the question abt his dream girl immediately with a question about his relationship with till.. real subtle there… kinda makes me go uueeugguh tho
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Nighttime Routine with Genshin Boys [Liyue + Childe]
Summary: A/N: Welp this series seems pretty popular so I'm continuing this but for night. Check the "How They Greet You In The Morning" imagines from my Genshin masterlist!
≿————- ❈ ————-≾
Xiao: If I'm being realistic, he probably says goodnight then dips- he always insists on going out to protect you from monsters lurking at night, but you may need a lot of convincing and almond tofu to make him stay. He doesn't sleep but he's willing to at least lie in bed with you, though he grunts and sighing about how mortals need sleep. You know he's there to watch over you, but you like to reassure him that it's okay for him to rest. "Goodnight. I'll be here."
Childe: Also a guy who says goodnight and dips (bruh), probably busy with Fatui duties. When he does get to have a goodnight's sleep with you, he enjoys snuggling under the covers with you, especially if it's cold outside. Once you say goodnight, and turn the other way, he frowns and starts being a menace. He pokes your arm every 5 seconds until you can't take it and slap him with a pillow. He jokingly winces and says it is "the most fearsome and difficult battle he's ever had" and you roll your eyes. However you can't stop smiling and end up turning back to face him to have a nice peaceful sleep.
Zhongli: He likes to hear about your day first, tell him everything in detail. Is willing to brew you a cup of something that will help you sleep if you have trouble sleeping, and even tell you a story. Always makes sure that you are feeling comfortable in bed, and smiles when he sees you nod your head, and joins you. Waits for you to fall asleep first before he does. Smooths his hand on the top of your head, as if to soothe you to sleep as your eyes start to close.
Xingqiu: Would you be surprised if I said he's already sitting in bed reading a book? Because he is. You're a little annoyed when he does that, him always being so invested in his literature. "Just one more chapter, I promise." You slit your eyes and say mockingly, "Just one more carrot, I promise." He puts down the book immediately. "Even Chongyun doesn't bully me like that." "That's because you're the one bullying Chongyun." He grumbles, but is always up for friendly banter, so your nights are full of playfulness.
Chongyun: I think his nights are usually routined and neat. You think it's cute when he washes his face when you do your routine together, because his hair is messier, and his bangs are out of his face (look at drummer Chongyun). He gets flustered if you say it out loud, and you giggle when he calms himself by splashing more water on himself. You both so to bed with some air conditioning on (does it exist in Teyvat...) and a thin blanket for Chongyun. He makes sure to say goodnight every time, even when you're already asleep or too tired to listen.
Baizhu: No matter how tired you are, he wants to make sure you take care of yourself by doing your nighttime routine. When you decide to have a skincare night, though he may not join since he usually stays up late doing work, but he still likes seeing you enjoy yourself while being healthy in some way. Probably has a nice herbal incense thingy to make you both fall sleep better. You literally have to convince him to take rest and eventually, he can't say no. He sighs and gets in bed, booping your nose lightly. Changsheng: "I'm right here you know :/" and that is why she made her own little nest on the bedside table to sleep.
#genshin#genshin impact#genshin imagines#genshin headcanons#genshin impact imagines#genshin fluff#genshin xiao#genshin childe#genshin zhongli#genshin xingqiu#genshin chongyun#genshin baizhu#xiao x reader#childe x reader#zhongli x reader#baizhu x reader#xiao fluff#childe fluff#zhongli fluff
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OKAY OKAY SAGAU BUT THE CREATOR IS A HUGE KPOP FAN LIKE IMAGINE THE MOST STOTIC CHARACTERS DANCING TO TWICE
ANON I HAVE SEEN UR ASK SITTIN IN MY MAILBOX AND BEEN WAITIN FOR THIS ONE-
GOD IM SO BASIC ANON I ONLY KNOW LIKE 2 SONGS BY TWICE (LIKE "FEELS" OR SMTH POPULAR), I KNOW A LITTLE MORE ITZY, BUT MY MAIN'S JUST BEEN BTS SINCE 2019😭
(send me recs pleassseeee ;-;)
Hey this'll be the last time I use colored words for characters!
I think it's a bit too distracting, and the only reason I was using them was to let ppl know if their fav was in there, but now I'll probably just use CW/TW to mention character heavy asks/fics :)
Thanks for being patient with me for so long if ur still reading my stuff :0 <3
Listen as you read?
EDIT 1/1/24: Hey I expanded more about this on my Eldritch Fanfic Part 2 post, but unfortunately I did a form of exoticism by including the term "Huangdi" inappropiately here. I have since replaced it with "Emperor" as was the original untranslated term I would've used. I'm genuinely sorry that I did this, and will absolutely be on the look out/do better in the future. I hope you can understand.
----
AGONIZED OVER THE GIFS THIS TIME THEYRE SO PRETTY AND I WANTED TO GET THEM DANCING ONE OF THEIR CUTER ERA/THEMES ALL DRESSED UP TOO-
also im so sorry?? Idky i was in such a scenario mood today??? Ig im in my exectutive dysfunction paralysis state so maybe that’s why, like it unconcoiusly wants me to waste more time not catching up on uni work??? anyway, hope u like this chaotic addon 😭
or i just love this ask sm, that’s entirely possible too <3
I JUST NEED YOU TO KNOW I PUT ON A MEGA TWICE PLAYIST WHILE WRITING THIS ENTIRE THING LMAO
ok but they’d totally heard ur music tastes thru the screen right?
like just imagine-
the video game music is normalized, and to them its just another one of those “all kinds of magic in teyvat” causing the music, like the seelies wandering around all the time or elemental energy
Jean is flipping through a folder filled with the reports for the week, she’s got to get the routes ready for the week, then there’s the liyue shipments the knights need to help escort over, then checking in on any of the emergency stations/rations throughout Mondstadt for weary or hurt travelers/merchants-
She sighs, and yet another irritated thought is thrown Varka’s way in her mind, she can’t even muster the energy to make it outright dislike she’s so tired…
Jean was so concentrated she just now is starting to hear the Favonious Headquarter’s music once more, it’s peppy upbeat tune… grates like nails on a chalkboard.
and if she has to hear that damn flute for the next hour she works, she’s going to start banging her head onto her desk.
♤
Out in Jueyun Karst, Xiao is dealing the finishing blow to a flying ruin hunter
He’s huffing and stabs his spear into the ground to lean on and catch his breath, the gentle music of the peaks begins to float around him once more
The Yaksha feels the earth beneath his feet shake. Not like from his Lord, not the other adepti angered, but an enemy so large it’s stomps shake the ground he stands on
Xiao quickly straightens less he fall over, pulling his spear out of the dirt with a little more effort than it probably should’ve taken…
The high sounds of the guzheng trickle through the air, a perfect representation of the base of the slopes, trees, streams, and nature all around him
Xiao turns to face the enemy behind him, his arm popping with tired joints,
…A ruin grader, two ruin hunters, and finally regular three ruin guards, follows it. they come around the corner of the bottom of another slope, and they're still simmering with black smoke, curling off their metallic shoulders.
Xiao sees several red targets layer over his chest,
the music fades a little, but sticks around, plucking strings gently. Xiao sighs, exhausted already.
♧
Kazuha and Beidou had to redirect the Alcor from a nasty storm at sea that intercepted their usual route between Inazuma and Liyue,
the storm had practically chased them further and further down form the Inazuman islands
it wasn’t until Kazuha, from the crow’s nest, spotted fog on the waters that they realized they’d be forced to go into said creepy fog, what with the crackling looming clouds at their backs pinning them in
“Not good Captain, the fog is miles long, I’m not sure I can see a way around it…” Kazuha calls down to the deck, Beidou letting out a sharp sigh through her nose
“Damn… fucker’s not even sentient and it practically backed us into a corner, feels like we literally gotta escape the damn thing… BRACE YOURSELVES CREW, WE’RE HEADING INTO THAT FOG!”
The Alcor makes it’s way into the fog, a piano swells with a strange tune…
Beidou, Kazuha, and the crew know to listen to the music of teyvat, especially if you have a life at sea, where storms can appear in the middle of the day or other pirates could attack any moment.
The music means nothing good, but at least Kazuha can see the storm staying at the border of the fog, moving no further in, unlike themselves
“Shit… see anything up there Kazu?” the Captain steering the ship doesn’t even reach a shout, for the music has creeped out all conversation on board
“No ma’am, wait,” a chill breeze brushes through the wanderer’s white hair, he feels goosebumps jump on his neck and spine,
“…Yes! Portside Captain, land, no enemy movement yet!”
“Alright, here goes a bad idea…” Beidou’s arms flex as she easily turns the heavy wooden wheel, steering left,
the Alcor gently comes ashore, and they make anchor.
…there are no enemies, like Kazuha said, but the tune worsens, it had gotten louder now that they’re actually on the theme’s land
It plays slowly, encasing the crew of the Alcor in a paranoid quiet, and it almost has a melancholy note
Crows caw and fly off of a stone gate up ahead, they can see flickers of a strange blue light further inland, like figures carrying lanterns everywhere they go…
“Damn music, I wouldn’t feel half this anxious if it didn’t sound like we were walking into a monster infested cave…” the first mate says, the first person to break the quiet the music held over them.
“Yes, while we might need to stay here for awhile, I think we’re all very aware how dangerous this is…” Kazuha agrees, crossing his arms and squinting at the moving blue lights… the piano plays on.
☆
You open on Spotify on your computer, clicking on your favorite kpop playlist, it’s been rainy all day, so you need the peppiness of this dance playlist to actually not be half-asleep playing Genshin-
You hum along to the Korean lyrics as you boot Genshin up, ugh, ur in-game music is so loud, u forgot u turned it up last time to hear the new Sumeru music…
Turning it down, you let the Kpop songs fill ur headphones as you nod to the beat, your team materializing on screen. Right, off to do commissions first!
♤
Jean is like.. seconds away letting out a scream of frustration, anger, tiredness, loneliness, etc. her hands clenching her hair and ruining her ponytail when, thank Creator, the theme quiets down finally.
The loss of her immediate ire gone, she lets go of her hair, her hands just kind of hovering midair, not knowing what to do with herself, all the negative emotions giving her face wrinkles just melt off, leaving her stunned, blank face behind
🎶 Dalkomhan chocolate ice-cream-cheoreom Nogabeorineun jigeum nae gibun so lovely! Kkamkkamhan uju sok gajang banjjagineun Jeo byeol jeo byeol geu yeope keun ne byeol 🎶
Acting Grand Master Jean actually screams when abruptly a song in an unrecognizable foreign language, blasts into her office, around it, filling the entire Favonius Headquarters with its… cheeriness??
Jean lets her hands fall onto the desk, still in shock
..well, she quickly decides she’s grateful for the new music either Barbatos or the All-Parent had heard her pleas for…
…actually, it’s kind of,, catchy?
Jean takes out her ponytail, massaging her aching scalp, huh, she really did have it tight she’s just now noticing, she feels a small smiles appear on her face,
she actually kind of wants to do something now (she kind of hopes this new foreign bard song sticks around..)
♧
If you asked Xiao what happened in that battle he’d be hard pressed to tell you,
without going completely red in the face. LMAO
He probably wouldn’t tell the other adepti this, especially Cloud Retainer, but Xiao had definitely had to get used to fighting brutal battles to the sound of gentle summer day-esque music
Right as the aruguably, army of ruin machines spotted the Yaksha, he’d launched himself into the air to try and evade the rusted beasts, aiming his jade spear, adding winds to swirl around the staff to better boost his attack, the machines warm up, their targets moved and locked onto him midair, right as both sides launch their attack-
🎶 Geogi neo I fancy you! Amuna wonhaji anha Hey, I love you (Love ya!) 🎶
Xiao nearly falls out of the air.
Quickly recovering, he uses his anemo power to propel himself off to the side dodging, he swears to his Lord and his Emperor himself, delayed attacks, as if the machines were caught off guard too,
missiles whiz by him, exploding behind, the peppy song of foreign women’s voices sings out into Jueyun Karst bright and happy-
🎶 Geurae neo I fancy you! Kkumcheoreom haengbokhaedo dwae 'Cause I need you! (What?) 🎶
Xiao’s face goes from being confused to concentrated throughout the rest of the battle, and the worst part… it actually helps his energy levels.
and he finds himself nodding along
☆
Kazuha takes the lead, his sword unsheathed and at the ready to cut down the slightest movement before it can get to any of the crew behind him,
He’s flanked by the Captain of the Alcor herself, Beidou’s electro shield emitting a deep hum as it blocks in front of both himself, and the crew behind him
all of the pirates have unsheather their own weapons, daggers, swords, claymores, bows, their all on high alert, waiting for.. well, any enemies at all.
In fact, Kazuha hopes he sees hilichurls soon, just for the familiarity it could give him and the his crew-
the music begins to fade away.
The crew stops just shy of the entryway that was perched with crows before they scattered, the white fog hasn’t moved beyond its lazy drifting, but the creeping sounds have stopped entirely. Not good.
Captain Beidou sighs after a few silent moments, other than the quiet breathing and shuffling of weapons from the Alcor crew.
She lets her claymore sword thunk against her shoulder, and just as she opens her mouth, turning to address the all, deciding camping here will have to do for the night-
🎶Fancy! youu, ooh Nuga meonjeo johahamyeon eottae Fancy! youu, ooh Jigeum neoegero gallae Fancy! ooh!🎶
Kazuha’s shoulder shoot up to his ears in a flinch, red eyes wide, he barely stops his reflexes from taking a hard swing with his sword, several crewmembers shriek, collide with metal clinks into one another, Beidou drops low, her sword swinging off her shoulder into almost a full swing at the ground-
…
…..
……..
🎶 Dalkomhan chocolate ice-cream-cheoreom Nogabeorineun jigeum nae gibun so lovely! Kkamkkamhan uju sok gajang banjjagineun Jeo byeol jeo byeol geu yeope keun ne byeol 🎶
the music plays on, the only one making any noise as the entire Alcor crew just, stop. after their initial shock.
Kazuha’s the first to break.
He desperately tries to contain a quiet chuckle, which turns into a giggle, which turns into a full-on wheeze, as he buries his sword into the ground to brace himself on it and one of his knees
the Captain cracks by the time Kazuha wheezes, her laughter going straight to guffaws and knee slapping, her claymore shaking the ground where she stabs it to lean against
the crew erupts into laughter, both as the peppy foreign song echoes into the mysterious fog, and Beidou’s ridiculous laugh, as always
they don’t recover until two songs later when there’s finally a slow kpop song, Kazuha’s had to sit down, tears streaming down his face, Beidou’s half-dead, wheezing out complaints about her stomach, as the crew keep sending each other into more and more laughter right as they think they’re done.
They decide their Akitsu Mikami must have the best sense of humor and must just be sitting on their celestial throne pranking some of their subjects from time to time, and the Alcor crew find themselves all the more appreciative for it, their nerves entirely gone about the island
Kazuha and Beidou are constantly asking other bards they meet to try and see if anyone can recreate the song for the crew sometime they liked the beat and the memory so much, Fancy by Twice will still get a laugh out of Beidou and Kazuha, and they’d quickly let you in on the inside joke so you’d be a part of it too (afterall you did it lol)
♡
NOW MORE IMPORTANTLY, BC IDK IVE BEEN ON A SCENARIO KICK LATELY?? SORRY IDK WHY U GUYS KEEP GETTING SCENARIOS-
There’s only TWO 2 CATEGORIES THAT MATTER HERE-
◇
Who’s DANCING!! w/o u needing to do anything but play the music:
NILOU (she got those choreos done in like, an hour flat everytime u teach her, shes always begging for “just one more dance lesson Greatest Lord? 🥺”),
YUNJIN (difference betweeen the two dancers is that nilou asks :) → yunjin lowkey demands, she like always gets u into a situation where you have plenty of time to teach her and feel obligated, u just got gaslight gatekeep girlbossed into teaching her another kpop dance LMAO), they also see it as they’re (literally) god-given job to dance better than any idol you’ve seen do it before, esp when they recruit groups of other dancers to join for group choreos
Yoimiya! cutie #1, CHILDE, amber, eula, ITTO, bennett,
Collei (but shes shy u gotta encourage her),
Diona (cutie #2),
FISCHL (would form an actual group to dance all the choreos like a real kpop group),
Gorou (shy #2, needs encouragement),
Kazuha (tbh I think he’d have fun and be weirdly good at it, fem or masc dances),
Ayaka (shy #3, needs encouragement and would rather die than dance in front of ppl other than you),
KLEE CUTIE #3, NAHIDA CUTIE #4,
Qiqi (but u gotta teach her slow bc she needs to memorize it, and also it takes her a bit to write down the dance steps in her journal so she doesn’t forget as much),
Razor (another person i think would just have fun with it! also he’d do it but it would be very, aggressive? like making finger hearts but violently shoving his arm out at ur face lmao),
HEIZOU (shutup he’d actually be good at it and brag- and flirt at you-),
Aether (shy #4), VENTI, xingqiu, xinyan, KAVEH
BARBARA (she literally stalks u around Mondstadt all like “oh hello your highness! just happened to walk by you and was wondering if you heard any new of those “kpop” dances, you know I’d LOVE to show it off at my next show-!” like she hasnt been a block behind you the entire day 💀)
♡
WHO YOU MANAGED TO CONVINCE TO DANCE LMAO-
babygirl Wanderer (he literally surveyed the area before he finally let u teach him any moves, and refused to any sort of dramatic moves, like fem or masc),
Alhaitham (but only like a small part of a guy group choreo like a bit from God’s Menu or smth, he was too lazy to do anymore even for u lol),
Cyno (dammit some of these bitches look way too good doing even girl group dances-),
Diluc (u got him to do like, a pose. LMAO and he saw Kaeya in the distance and quit immediately LMFAO),
Kaeya (but it didnt take much convincing, if anything it just took forever to teach him, he’s talented in footwork for swordfighting but apparantly not dancing, at least not modern dances he tripped so much ur convinced he did it on purpose at one point so he’d fall into your arms again lol),
Ganyu (super shy, wont do it around anyone but you, and maybe Shenhe),
speaking of Shenhe (she just took awhile to teach bc she wanted to stay upright a lot, kinda stiff),
Keqing (once again, another who’d only dance when it’s just u two lol),
Yae Miko (she just wanted to learn the whole choreo that’s what took so long… and now she’s making comments like “My goodness, my god wants me to dance for them? They’ll even show me how? Oh, now I must do it perfectly so I can satisfy you, my Kami.” STOP TAKING THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT UR TEACHING EVERYONE-),
Ayato (he’s acts so theater gay he refuses to do anything but the girl group dances/fem dances lol),
SARA (easy, give her ur strongest, saddest pout and she cracked like glass, u got her to do a whole dance with u/she actually got into it too, its her secret guilty pleasure now lol),
Kuki (did one sort of move then got BARRELED OVER by Itto’s crazied boy group acrobatics he likes so much, u know the backflips over each other type of ones? yeah. ),
Ei (the god herself/not the puppet, catch her never doing that lol, she tried but didnt, get it? she’s also pretty stiff, but she looks like she’s having fun so u just keep teaching her moves, and she likes that its you teaching her something new),
Thoma (shy #5 ? idek what number we’re on anymore lol),
TIGHNARI (u nag that bitch so hard he nearly throws a drink at you to get u to stop bothering him- NO he does NOT think those dances would suit his ears- dammit he wont do that dance, no matter how much he likes you- DAMMIT MY LORD-),
Xiao (if u thought nagging Tighnari was hard, this is like nightmare mode, not only does he not wanna do the dances, but he also wants to understand WHY u want him to dance each and every move- !! bc he would “look cute or cool”?!?!!?!!! …yeah he’s gone, he went so red u cant even get him back with tofu),
Zhongli (would like, be so confused on how to make his body do that, that he ended up just sort of posing, at least he looks cool)
♡
(anyone not on these 2, u did, in fact, not manage to convince, yes, even if their god asked them to, nor are they doing it of their own volition lol)
WHAT THE HELLLLLLL-
THIS IS SO LONGGG IM SO SORRRYYYYY
ANYWAY HOPE SOMEBODY LIKED THIS, DW ILL STOP THE WEIRD SCENARIOS AFTER THIS ASK I JUST GOT IN A PHASE I DONT KNOW WHY
also, im like, three weeks away form graduating uni? NICE, soon i will be free to assault u all with responses mwhahahaha (rubs my little gremlin hands together)
Safe travels,
💀 ♒
♡the beloveds♡
@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk
#so long#srry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#genshin impact#genshin sagau#hope somebody got a kick outta this#and srry if the scenario switches were confusing#idk if anyones aware but i did mention way back when#like in january that i was using this blog both to do smth i love#and to practice writing stuff :)#ask box open#sagau#my asks#genshin imagines#gender neutral reader#genshin isekai#genshin impact sagau#genshin impact self aware#genshin impact reverse harem#no even gonna hide it anymore they love u#just try and stop me bitch#(except for the minors/literal children they just have a squish on u#aka a platonic crush)#unless u state otherwise in the ask#everybody is deeply in love cant stop em just join em#genshin scenarios
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N&R MASTERLIST || COD MASTERLIST
PAIRING: Simon Riley x Reader
WARNINGS: Stalking, Blood, Kidnapping, Panic Attacks
The Heat Of Indifference || Chapter 1 >>> (coming soon)
Unrequited delusion turns the sweetest cup of intentions sour.
She stares at the note in her hand numbly. A tremour starts in her as she skims over it, spreads until her shaking has nothing to do with the chill of the air, the cool metal of the mailbox her other hand clutches onto.
'too busy for me?'
'i'll make time in your life for me'
'fucking someone else behind my back?'
'you looked so pretty the other day, i had trouble staying away'
'took a few pictures for my collection'
Crumpling the note, she looks around the dimly lit porch as if she might spot the culprit, might see the man that's been making her life a living hell, inducing a paranoia she's never experienced before. Unsteadily, she stumbles backwards into her house, locking the door and sliding the deadbolt.
Safe. It doesn't feel safe. Breath caught in her throat, she runs to her bedroom, sets her back to the door after locking it.
The other notes could be ignored, mixed in with the other fan mail, some scattered in her emails and her inboxes on social media, but this one? In her mailbox?
Her personal mailbox?
The one right outside her house?
He knew where she lived.
Bile crawling up her throat, she fumbles with her phone, dialing the number she memorised ever since she signed with the agency. It rings once. Twice.
Alban picks up on the third ring.
"It's one in the morning-"
"He knows where I live," She gasps out, the grip on her phone a kind death itself could not have pried away. "He-...he put something in my mailbox, what if he's inside?" The thought sends her into a spiral. "He's-he might be here, Alban, might be in my house. He's seen it, knows where it is, what if he's waiting outside? What if-"
"Calm down, hey, listen." He cuts her off, the sleep in his voice dissipating at her panic. "I'm on my way, okay? Hang tight, lock your doors. Stay put, you hear?"
"Stay on the line?" She requests shakily.
"Of course," The jingle of keys, the zip of a jacket. "Fuck, I shouldn't have let you go home alone from the shoot, I'm sorry." He sighs.
There's no more talk from her end, she listens as he stays on the line, hears the hum of a car engine, the slam of a car door. Alban would be here, and she wouldn't be alone then, and then-...
And then what?
Back to square one? Back to losing sleep and screwing up auditions To looking over her back and wondering when the next note would appear? No, that's not the life she wants, her gut twists painfully just thinking about it.
It started sweet.
A letter in her fan mail, just another proclamation of love, messages of praise and devotion online. Nothing out of the ordinary for one of the most popular rising actresses of her time. It's a place she's earned after years of hard work, growth and determination.
Then the letters started to change in tone. Annoyed. Impatient. Not understand why she wasn't writing back, why she wasn't noticing him.
The threats started after that.
To a degree, she understands that putting herself in such a bright spotlight opens her up to people like this, people who lived in delusions and acted in their own interests, but to be the victim of it...it was overwhelming, stressful, and frightening.
She's really, truly frightened.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
The blanket around her shoulders was knitted by her mother.
Warm but slightly scratchy, it's one of the items that appears misplaced among the sleek, expensive look of her living room. Leather couches, wall-to-ceiling windows, and an open floor plan.
The dull scratchy blanket brings about a childish comfort, something long forgotten between the glitz and glamour of her new life. She buries her nose into it, her thanks muffled by the fabric when Alban places down the steaming mug of tea. His hair is pulled up in a bun haphazardly, his jacket only half zipped up. Pajama pants speckled with cartoon bananas she'd make fun of if she could bring herself to conjure a laugh.
The crickets sing, and it's good background noise for their silence. It's odd, how at ease the world is when the weight of it feels like it's caving down on her.
"I don't think this is going away on its own." She finally says, gaze flickering to meet Alban's.
"The police said they'd do what they could," He clicks his tongue. "The best they're going to do is run prints on the note, see if they can match the handwriting to somebody."
"Didn't work before, won't work now." She mumbles.
"So you know that we need someone other than the police now."
She manages a tense nod, and her acceptance seems to grant him an ounce of relief. "I'll give my contact a call then. We'll get you a personal detail sorted out by tomorrow."
The idea of someone being in her space 24/7 makes her uncomfortable. Alban had brought it up before, had brought it up multiple times actually, but she'd always shot down the idea, hoping the problem would resolve itself on its own. A personal security detail, a bodyguard. It seemed...excessive before. She values her privacy, values the little space that's left untouched by the eyes of the public, and letting someone else, a stranger, into it makes her uneasy.
His gaze softens. "I know this isn't what you wanted." He squeezes her shoulder, "But I'd rather see you alive and uncomfortable than dead in a ditch somewhere."
She likes that outcome too.
"I'll live." It was just for a little while, she reasons. "Just till everything passes."
"Just until it passes." He promises.
His presence makes her grateful. Alban has always been an anchor to her, someone to rely on. Her manager. Her friend, above all. He'd been with her through the ups and downs of her career, of her life.
"Thank you." It's not enough to convey the company he brings, but he seems to get it. His smile is knowing, and reassuring.
Enough to make her relax the barest bit.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
"I'll find the bastard myself, wring out his neck!" Melvin glares at her through the rearview mirror. He's been on a rant for the past twenty minutes, and she hasn't the heart to tell the old man to stop. On the contrary, it makes her feel better that someone is as angry as her about it.
"Not if I get to him first." She smiles despite the dreary topic.
"Now you listen here, you tell me about any more trouble you're getting into, alright?" They pull into the parking lot and this time Melvin turns around to stare at her, fiery and outraged. "I'll find 'em, set 'em straight!"
His wispy grey hair curls around his forehead, wrinkles and smile lines carved into a face that's seen more of her childhood than her own father ever cared to.
Melvin was the closest family she had. He'd driven her to her first audition, had seen her through it and took her to get the ice cream he always grumbled was too sweet when she'd been rejected on the spot.
"I'll let you know." She nods solemnly.
He narrows his eyes, squinting at her. "Are you mocking me?"
"Me? I wouldn't dare." She laughs, scrambling out of the car before he can go off on another tangent about the youth of today. "I'll see you in a couple hours!"
The office building stands at an impressive height at the heart of the city, glass windows showing off an impressive view of the surroundings. It wasn't often that she came here, Alban mostly took care of any paperwork she had to fill out and submit so there was never a reason for her to be sat behind a desk when she could be performing and showing her talents elsewhere.
Things had cooled down considerably after last night. Alban had stayed the night with her, and although she hadn't gotten much sleep it was reassuring to know that Alban's contact had pulled through and arranged a meeting with the security company that the man had been raving on about ever since this whole mess started. He'd gotten everything sorted before she'd even woken up for the day.
Task Force...something. She couldn't remember the numbers at the end of the title, but they were supposed to be the best of the best.
The elevator has a line too long for her to think about waiting in, so she turns to the stairwell inside. It was only three floors up, and she could use the exercise anyway. She's already a few minutes late to meet them all anyway, the wait wouldn't be worth it.
Would she meet her detail today? Her bodyguard? She really should've asked Alban to expand on his vague "I've taken care of it" this morning...
The hallway she ends up in stretches the expanse of the room, widening into a larger floor plan overlooking the rest of the city. A break room of some sort? Confused, one glance at the floor directory hung up next to her answers her question.
Wrong floor.
Clicking her tongue, she turns to go back into the stairwell when the hair on the back of her neck stands up, and a chill shivers down her spine. It's the same feeling of being watched, the feeling that's made her triple-check her locks at night and lose precious hours of sleep trying to convince herself that she was safe.
There's nobody else in the hallway, not a soul passing by. The distant voices and noises indicate whoever's occupying the floor is in the offices farther in, but nowhere near her...
Faltering, she takes a few hesitant steps into the nearest room. An office of some sort.
The feeling remains, stronger than ever. Goosebumps prickle her flesh, her teeth worry her lower lip. This is stupid, this entire thing was stupid! It's an empty room...
"I know you're there!" The words pass her lips before she can stop them, fuelled by frustration and fear. Her own eyes widen at her words, but she doesn't take them back. No, she's commited to it now. Clenching her fists to hide the trembling of her hands, she turns around in a small circle trying to find the source of her discomfort. "This isn't funny, it's fucking creepy! Just leave me the hell alone!"
Maybe it's a trick of paranoia and the light but she swears she sees a shadow move out of the corner of her eye, and it startles her so bad she bumps into the desk behind her, clutching it so hard her knuckles go white.
Her heart is in her throat when the door creaks open.
This felt like a fucking horror movie. 'I've never been in one of those before', she thinks a little hysterically. 'Don't think I'll ever have the chance to after this.' Maybe it was a random employee who'd forgotten something in the office, she tries to reason with herself, or Alban coming to see what's taking her so long-
She screams when a tall man in a balaclava peers through the door, a hand fixed on the pistol on his belt.
Blindly grabbing onto a stapler, she throws it at him and scrambles to put the desk in between them. "Leave me alone!" She yells, wielding the keyboard like it might protect her from him and his firearm.
The man catches the stapler and gives her a rather unimpressed look.
He was clearly fucking insane, she thinks. Batshit crazy, stalking her down in an office building in broad daylight with a mask. The cool glass of a window touches her back and she swallows, glancing behind her. Four stories up, but if he made a move to grab her would she have enough time to unlatch the window and climb out? Did she even want to risk breaking her legs?
"It's a shitty idea."
The voice is smooth gravel, the grit of the sand on a clear beach.
"Who are you?" She narrows her eyes, fingers playing with the latch. "Why do you keep following me?"
"It's my job." He deadpans, and it makes her hesitate to jump to her idea of trying to escape the situation.
"...what?"
He loosens a sigh from his chest, and tugs out the manilla folder she hadn't seen tucked under his arm before. She tenses when he takes a step forward, tossing it on the desk. A couple of documents spill out, and she catches bits and pieces until her eyes land on the logo sealed at the top of the folder.
Her eyes flicker back to him and spot the same logo patched onto his jacket.
Last night comes back to her in a rush, the hurried explaination she was given.
Task Force 141.
A security company known throughout the country as being the best of the best. Being ex-military, they took care of messy situations in ways that didn't reflect poorly on anyone, kept their means and methods unknown but their clients happy. Alban had given her an overview of the company a while ago after the photographs of her had started to arrive.
"Screaming your head off like that, jumping out a four-story window? Bloody hell, no wonder you need a babysitter."
Any lingering fear snaps to irritation. "I don't need a babysitter, I need someone who's not going to scare the shit out of me." Still a little shaky, she lets go of the window. "Alban hired you?"
"Clearly." His dry tone makes her bristle. He'd just scared the hell out of her, her being a little jarred is perfectly understandable. "Sent me to see what the hold up was." He jerks his chin towards the documents. "Needs your signature, then I'm yours until your issue blows over."
Him? He was her on her private detail? Her bodyguard?
She expected someone in a suit with an earpiece, simple and subtle, something akin to the usual security that surrounds her at her venues. Fitting in was important, after all. The less she was noticed the safer she'd be.
Given that, the 6'3 man with the large, strong stature definitely had taken her aback, but his face was the thing that freaked her out the most, the mask making her mind flash to every horror movie she'd ever seen.
A black balaclava covers his lower face and tucks itself into the collar of the all-black suit he dons. The fabric's printed with the bottom half of a white...skull? Puzzled, she gives him a once over, wondering how someone this...intimidating could possibly be inconspicuous. He holds himself with a rigidity she's only ever seen in someone who holds discipline to a high standard, shoulder back, eyes brown and piercing in a way that makes her feel oddly vulnerable.
She nods slowly, picking up a pen from one of the holders, willing her heart to stop pounding from the lingering adrenaline. "I'm pretty sure you know an awkward amount about me already." She skims over the paperwork quickly. "But what do I call you?"
Life had taught her the hard way never to blindly sign a document.
"Ghost." She pauses, blinking up at him. He doesn't look like he's joking, and after a beat of silence her lips quirk up to a half amused smile.
"Ghost?" She cocks her head. "Like the things that haunt houses? That's your name?"
"Afirmative." He retorts.
"But that's a nickname, I don't think your parents would have named you Ghost." That was just unnecessarily cruel. He'd have gotten bullied at school with a name like that. "What's your name name?"
"Ghost is enough of a name for you. I'm here to keep you alive, not have a heart to heart, yeah?"
Okay. So he wasn't the warmest person she'd met.
"You're off to a great start, nearly pushing me out a window." She mumbles under her breath going back to reading.
"It was your hand I recall being on the latch."
At the flourish of her pen, her signature settling next to his and Alban's, some of the weight on her shoulders settles into something slightly more bearable. Things would be easier for her hopefully.
She could admit that although he was gruff and not the friendliest, he was certainly intimidating. By the way his eyes flicker around the room every now and then, he was perceptive too. Despite their rocky start, she already felt like someone was watching her back.
"Anything else I need to sign?"
He doesn't respond, shifting in place instead, eyebrows furrowed. It makes her uneasy, his sudden change in posture. Muscles tensing, his sights land somewhere behind her and he suddenly moves to grab her before she can register it.
A crash of glass echoes through the room as the window opposite to them shatters.
She can barely let out a shriek before Ghost has her against a wall, shielding her body with his, pressing close enough for him to feel the way her heart hammers in her chest.
Sandalwood and smoke, she can't help but note as she draws in a shaky breath. He's built well, all strong muscle and capable hands that crowd her back. Her breath hitches for a completely different reason.
"You alright?" He grunts out, peering over his shoulder. It's sharp, the way his gaze flickers from the shards of glass to the bolt embedded in the wall a metre away from where she'd been.
Right where Ghost had been standing.
"Fine," She manages, looking between him and the bolt in the wall with a cold sinking in her stomach. "I-...you're bleeding!" She exclaims, reaching up to tilt his face to the side, a splotch of red seeping through his mask. Before she can make contact, he steps away from her leaving her hand hovering in the air.
It shatters the brief moment from before, the breath she couldn't catch loosens from her chest.
She feels like she looks a little stupid with her hand hovering like that and, the back of her neck going warm as she clears her throat. "Your cheek." She says aloud after a moment. There's a small cut where the projectile had grazed him, bleeding sluggishly.
Ghost doesn't pay her any mind as he yanks the bolt out of the wall, cement cracking onto the floor. Turning it this way and that, she finds enough feeling in her legs to move towards him-
"Stay there." He orders, and the authority lacing the words stuns her into compliance. "Away from the windows."
She certainly sees how he's ex-military now, that he's used to his orders being obeyed.
Ghost turns around eventually, brow furrowed and she finally has a clear view of the item.
A white rose is twined around the bolt, the petals speckled with red dots. A drop of crimson drips onto the floor by his feet and she realises that the colouring isn't from the flower itself.
It's Ghost's blood, tainting the purity of something so delicate weaved with an intentional threat.
He was here.
In her house, on her mind, in her workplace, God, he was in her workplace now. Her breath stutters as she tries to take a deep one, panic she refuses to let loose in front of him clawing at her chest. So she was right, someone had bee watching her. It hadn't been him, it had been her stalker that had made her wary.
This was new. She'd never had actual contact with the guy before, her nightmares had been restricted to words scrawled onto a page. Judging by the bolt's direction, the man was probably in the building opposite.
Ghost barks something into a radio connected to his belt, sharp eyes sweeping the room, narrowing at the window across, cautious and confident.
He's an ass, they haven't started on the right foot but she doesn't want to see him dead. What if the next 'threat' hit true? What if she had to stand there and watch his head trickle crimson, watch that strong body hit the floor with a lifeless-
"I don't think this is a good idea." She blurts out, frightened by the thought. Nobody needed to get hurt but her, was expanding this...this horrid torment onto other people really worth it?
When he doesn't answer, she pushes on. "It's...you could get hurt. Or killed." A shaky inhale. "And I don't want-"
"Your concern won't void my contract. I've survived worse." He cuts her off, peering out of the window. She swears she spots the barest bit of amusement in his dead stare when he glances back at her. "You're too exposed in the open. We're going to your residence, my team's already secured it, set up a perimeter."
And she can't find it in herself to protest when he ushers her out of her room taking care to shield her from the windows.
Glancing up at the blood seeping through his mask, the unease from last night creeps back into her heart. What would have happened if Ghost hadn't been there? Would she have been the target instead? Would she be...Alban was right, it was stupid to think that this would stop on its own.
Hope was a fool's playground.
Ghost notices the sudden tense silence, casts down a long glance as they enter the elevator together, strangely free from the mass of people earlier.
"You're safe now."
She looks up in surprise, but he's already shifted his gaze to stare at the metal doors in front of them. Safe. How long has it been since she's felt safe?
Miraculously, she finds herself nodding. Finds herself trusting. Trusting this man she just met a few minutes ago. It's strange, but she lets his reassurance wash over her, her shoulders dropping down ever so slightly.
It seems enough to satisfy him, because he doesn't comment again.
Safety.
What a luxury she'd taken for granted.
Reblog, Like and Comment!
(1/12/2023)
#nightshade and roses#ghost cod#cod mw ghost#ghost call of duty#ghost modern warfare#ghost mw2#ghost simon riley#ghost x reader#cod ghost#mw2 ghost#simon ghost riley x reader#simon ghost riley x you#simon ghost x reader#simon ghost riley#simon riley x reader#simon riley x you#call of duty modern warfare 2#modern warfare x reader#angst#x reader#x y/n#fluff#simon riley#simon riley fluff#simon riley imagine#call of duty modern warfare#call of duty modern warfare ii#modern warfare#cod modern warfare#modern warfare 2
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Jungkook’s likes and dislikes of his future partner ?
i don't really feel comfortable looking into his dislikes about them, but thought i'd look into some potential green and red flags in their relationship. haven't read for them in months.
jungkook's future relationship - green + red flags
based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!
queofw, kingofw&queofsw, knofc, fool&moon
+ an incredibly well balanced relationship. they will complete and compliment each other beautifully, also bond over their similarities. especially when it comes to their ambitions, their fiery and creative sides. jungkook will gain a lot of confidence from his fs' existence and vice versa. i can see him feeling very inspired by his fs' existence creatively. maybe expect some love songs in the future.. he'll be good at writing about his love for them, i think. also his fs in particular, will benefit a lot from jungkook's warmth and vibrance. they might've been through a fair share of disappointment already, which turned them a little closed off at first. jk will be very good at breaking down those walls and opening up their heart, gaining their trust.
they will also just be very lovey dovey and cute with each other, a lot of romance. kinda like this long-lasting couple that everyone is jealous of, since everyday they seem to be just as in love with each other as when they first met. the romantic air will not die down for years it seems.. jungkook is a libra venus, so he'll probably find a lot of fulfilment in sweeping his fs off their feet. i can see him putting a lot of effort into planning the most beautiful dates.
there will also once again, be a great balance between lighthearted and carefree times, but also moments where they'll engage in deeper conversations. they'll truly enjoy each others company and have a lot of fun together, but connect to each other beyond the surface, on an emotional level as well. take away each others fears, light the way in times of darkness. the fact i only got court cards and major arcana really gives me this impression that their relationship will be extremely important for the both of them, it will definitely play a big role in their lives. they'll have a meaningful and longlasting impact on each other.
aceofsw, 7ofc, 9ofw&6ofc, 8ofw&magic
- the main problem i see here, is jungkook's fs struggling to deal with his incredible amount of fame. their partner being in the public eye and having so much going on, will overwhelm them for sure. as i stated before, his fs seems to have dealt with some past bad experiences already, which might've caused them some trust issues. a lot of overthinking. "i trust you, but i'm worried i'll get hurt again." is what i keep hearing. tbh, i do not see jungkook engaging in any infidelity. i actually see him remaining pretty loyal, his fs will just be in their head a lot. they're aware he's a very charismatic guy many people swoon over, so there's this sense of insecurity und worry when he's away. they basically don't like the thought of people looking at him a little too much, if that makes sense lol? maybe some of you know that feeling, i definitely do. "that girl smiled at you for a little too long, don't ya think?" kinda vibes lmao, or they'll feel all weird over jungkook just being his usual charming self with others, maybe confront him over it. they probably have some possessive tendencies and need to work on their ability to fully trust.
btw, i see this pattern for a lot of bangtan's future spouses, which is interesting. it seems they're aware of the set of unique difficulties dating a member comes with. many of them are worried over the members getting seduced by the fame and popularity, which is kinda inevitable with a bg as big as bts, i guess. however so far, most of them seem keen on staying faithful once they settle down 👏🏻
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can u do one w their sister where she lies and sneaks out to a party with her friends but they show up to the same party and see her there and take her home and she has to talk about it with them
Caught
Sturniolo Little Sister (SLS) x The Sturniolo Triplets
Warnings: Alcohol, House party shit, etc.
SLS/N's POV
Did I feel bad about sneaking out and betraying my brother's trust, by going to a house party in LA with my friends? Yes. But is it gonna be worth it? Hell yes!
It was tight, sitting in the back of some random dude's jeep, with a whole bunch of girls that had way too much perfume on. But Kylie, my best friend since I moved to LA, somehow managed to score us invites to the most popular guy in our school's house party. How could I say no to that!
I didn't say no, my brothers did.
-
I got home from school today, happy that I got invited. I was mentally planning my outfit, hair, and makeup out in my head as I opened the front door and walked into the kitchen, where Nick, Matt, and Chris were.
"Oh my gosh, you guys won't believe it. Kylie and I got invited to go to Logan's House party tonight! Logan's! I need to get my dress, curl my hair, and make sure my makeup is-"
"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea, SLS/N. It's a school night."
I felt my heart drop as those words left Nick's mouth. I looked at Matt and Chris for support, but they were nodding in agreement with Nick.
"Oh c'mon! I'll never get a chance like this again! please, Nick?" I beg, wanting to cray a little.
"I'm sorry, but I said no, and I think your brothers agree with me too." He says, signaling that the argument is over.
But I wasn't done.
"What? This is fucking bullshit!" I say, stomping up to my room. I know I was acting like a brat, but this was so unfair.
-
I sat in my room for what felt like ever. But then Chris came up and asked,
"We're going out, wanna come."
I shake my head no, not even looking up at him. He steps into my room.
"SLS/N, c'mon, don't be like this. you-" He began to say, but I caught him off.
"I said I don't wanna go, Chris!" I kinda felt bad for shouting at him, as he gave me a nod, and walked out of the room.
Shortly after, I could hear the car being pulled out of the driveway and down the road.
But Then I got a text:
Kylie<3
Hey girl! Pick you up at 7?
I thought for a second, then smiled, texted her back, and then went to my closet to get my dress.
Sounds good
-
So that's how I ended up in my current situation. One that I completely regret even thinking about.
This party was filled with about a hundred drunk, sweaty, loud teenagers, and a couple of older guys that looked like straight-up druggies.
And to put the cherry on top of my night:
My brothers weren't out.
They are here.
-
I quickly duck down behind the pool table, trying to move along the edge of the house to the front door.
“SLS/N, what are you doing?” I hear kylie say, grabbing my hand and pulling me up.
“Oh-I-uh…nothing! I was just gunna go get some air!” I say, brushing the dust from the floor off my dress. Kylie nods and walks to go find another group of friends.
-
I finally made it to the door, quickly opening it and stepping out. But just before I close the door, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see who was about to get me caught.
Matt.
He glares at me, not saying a word. Then he grabs me by the wrist and walks down the front porch, all the way to our van.
He lets me go and gets in the drivers seat pulling out his phone. I climb into the back seat and close the door as Matt brings his phone up to his ear.
“We need to go. I’ll explain in the car.” He says, then hanging up right after. He puts his phone back into his pocket.
“Matt, I-“ begin to say, but just as I start talking, the doors open and Nick and Chris climb into the car. They both look at me with confused faces.
“Guess who snuck out?” Matt says sarcastically. At this, Nick sighs and puts his face in his hands, while Chris just shakes his head and looks out the window.
I feel the tears well up in my eyes at their disappointment.
-
The van was silent the whole way home. When we pulled into the driveway, we got out of the car and went inside, and I started to walk to my room.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of this.” Chris said, as all my brothers sat down in the couch. I sighed, and sat went to sit in the far side of the couch.
“Do you even understand what you did?” Nick asks me. I feel a lump in my throat grow at his question.
“I-I…” I stuttered, trying not to cry. Nick interrupted me,
“SLS/N! You literally did the complete opposite of what we told you. We were going to surprise you and bring you with us! You need to understand that we said no to protect you!” I nodded, tears rolling down my face.
“Did you like that party? Was it worth it?” Matt asked me.
“…no.” I say with a shaky breath. Then I finally know what I need to say.
“I’m sorry. I just- it’s harder being a kid here than in Boston. It’s like have to re learn how to be liked by people all over again! I was scared to say no and then everyone would think I’m lame. I’m so so sorry. P-please, I’m sorry.”
I say all of this crying. But at the end, I completely break down. Hating myself for making my brothers lose trust in me.
I was sunk down in the floor at this point, balling my eyes out. I felt arms wrap around me.
“I know it’s hard being in a new place, believing me, I know. I’m sorry you feel like this, but your safety is more important than going to some stupid kid’s party where you could get hurt.” Matt says, pulling me closer to him.
I nod, and snuggle into his embrace.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m-“ I keep mumbling, wanting to be forgiven.
“Shhh, you’re okay, we forgive you kiddo.” Chris says, joining the hug, Nick close behind.
-
My brothers and I cuddled on the couch after our long night, our hair wet from our showers. I snuggle closer into their sides, grateful that I have such understanding brothers.
I feel like this is cringy again 😂
#nick sturniolo#sturniolo smut#sturniolo imagine#chris sturniolo#nicolas sturniolo#sturniolo x reader#sturniolo fanfic#sturniolo triplets#christopher sturniolo#matt sturniolo#sturniolo#matthew sturniolo
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ive been a fan of ATLA since it came out, and I think I stopped reading fic for it once Korra came out. So (luckily?), I escaped Embers, but im curious to know what is its influence in fanon. Do you know any examples off the top of your head?
Whoa, that's impressive that you managed to skip it if you've been a fan that long. It started in 2009.
And yeah, I do. Admittedly I do not read ATLA fic often these days, so I'm probably behind on current trends. But if you know what you're looking at it's pretty obvious that lots of Zuko-focused fic is influenced by Embers. Granted, oftentimes the writer may not realize they were influenced by Embers--they may have been inspired by a fic that was inspired by a fic that was inspired by Embers. The fic is 14 years old, and the rabbithole runs deep.
So the effects Embers has had, off the top of my head:
The Wani. Zuko's ship does not have a canonical name, but so many writers have used Vathara's name for it that people are surprised when they learn it's not canon. Even I'm guilty of this one, it's such deeply-entrenched fanon that I figured I might as well use it in a throwaway line (tho I'm seriously considering going in and editing it out of the one fic I mentioned it in).
Dragon!Zuko. If Zuko or Fire Nation people are turning into dragons, that idea probably came from Embers; I don't recall ever seeing that trope in ATLA fic before Embers made it a thing.
Certain Aang-critical readings of canon. There are multiple ways people criticize Aang (fans have complained about him not killing Ozai since the finale aired, and shippers have their own gripes), but there are certain arguments that either originated with Embers or were popularized by it. The concept of "Aang told Zuko he'd come with him if he left the SWT alone, then Aang escaped, therefore he broke his word and lied and he's lucky Zuko is such a good person that he didn't turn around and burn the village to the ground because he totally would've been within his rights to do so" is an Embers original. Then there's the "Aang has totally killed people and is therefore a hypocrite and/or idiot who doesn't realize he kills people" criticism, which may have existed before Embers brought it up, but Embers definitely popularized it. (Canonically Aang has done things that would definitely result in people dying, but also canonically we never saw the bodies so the narrative didn't confirm or even acknowledge it, therefore there's plenty of room to interpret Aang's kill count and still be canon-compliant. I'll admit this is a pedantic argument if everyone else admits that some fans are overeager to give Aang a kill count and call him an idiotic mass murderer, especially when they point at the Siege of the North, where the only people he would've killed were enemy combatants). And apparently now there are stories where Zuko is very knowledgeable about Air Nomad culture and teaches Aang about it, or preaches to him about patience or maturity or morality--I reblogged a post about this recently. That entire mentality definitely came from Embers.
Hyper-competent Zuko. This is not solely Embers's doing, but let me explain. Zuko is the fandom's favorite, we love him, he ticks off a lot of boxes people love to see in a character. It is perfectly normal for a fandom to heap all sorts of awesomeness on their fave, and in fanon they become a super-competent badass who puts up with so much and fights so hard despite the odds, they are knowledgeable and intelligent and strategic, they are confident and compassionate and have iron-clad morals. (am I still describing Zuko or Obi-Wan Kenobi? lol) So this version of Zuko probably would've become a thing eventually; Embers was just the starting point. But things have to start somewhere, and in this case, it started with Embers showing off just how to make Zuko a hyper-competent badass. And Zuko is indeed a badass, but canon gave no indication that he'd actually be good at, like, politics, aside from the narrative implying it by saying he was the best person to become Fire Lord. There are takes on Zuko where he's politically astute, spiritually attuned, brilliantly strategic, extremely knowledgeable about all sorts of random things--none of which have much basis in canon, but they aren't necessarily contradicted by canon either. And again, this is just regular fandom behavior--but in the ATLA fandom these takes were sparked by Embers basically laying the foundation and creating the template for how to write Zuko.
Well-researched fic. Like the previous point, this is not solely Embers's doing. Researching stuff for fanfic has been a thing since forever. But Embers was huge, and Vathara talked a lot about the things she knew and the books she'd read, and people were very impressed and praised her for it, and it inspired them to do and show their own research for their fics, too. Unlike the other things on this list, this actually isn't something that annoys me--even I was inspired by this aspect of Embers, in conjunction with the racebending movement and cultural misappropriation criticism, to make research an important part of my own fic. I'd looked up information for my writing before, but Embers really showed how research could make a fic incredible. And frankly, I'm glad for it, because looking up stuff for my fics has proven to be a fun and rewarding pastime, and I love sharing my research with my own readers (tho I really hope my own author's notes aren't as condescending as Vathara's). Now, granted, given some of the opinions in her author's notes and things she's said elsewhere, I consider all of Vathara's information and reading recommendations to be suspect. But I'm glad it's inspired other people to do lots of great research and share it.
And that's all I can think of, off the top of my head. I'm sure there's more, but I haven't read Embers in years, and I don't read much ATLA fic in general these days, so if there's more I'm unaware. If anyone else can think of anything, please do chime in!
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